Threat Analysis Collateral

THREAT ANALYSIS 1:
COLLATERAL
A SOURCEBOOK FOR
SLA INDUSTRIES 2ND EDITION
A
SLA Industries
7th November, 1983. Holding Cell 3, The Crantham Foundation, Manse Brae, Glasgow.
The young man was pale, with skin that was almost colourless beneath black tousled hair. He was dressed in a
weathered army jacket, a faded woollen sweater, jeans that needed a wash and secondhand boots. Unexceptional in
every way. Dressed to blend in.
His left hand had been handcuffed to a steel bar anchored to the metal table. He was trouble and a flight risk. He
could probably break his arm free, but the soldiers would probably shoot him and he couldn’t afford to draw anymore
attention that he already had.
The grey door opened and Doctor Crantham entered. Two soldiers moved to follow him, but he motioned for them
to stay outside. When the door clamped shut, Crantham turned and smiled cordially.
“Good evening.” Crantham said. “I’ve been so looking forward to meeting you finally. So many nights I’ve found
you lurking round the perimeter of the compound. Two nights ago you actually plucked up the courage, slipped past
the guards and got to whispering with Patient 3 outside his cell window. What were you talking about, I wonder?”
The young man would not look at him. He merely stared fixedly at the brushed metal surface of the table and his
belongings that had been frisked and extracted from him when the ten armed soldiers wrestled him down onto the
gravel path, sounding the alarm. It had been all shouts, screams and bloodied noses after that.
Crantham drew up the wallet from the desk and looked through its contents. He pulled out a worn National
Insurance Card and examined it, then looked at the man.
“Thomas Tide, it says” Crantham chuckled.
The man did not respond.
“Thomas Tide….”
Crantham let the card slip from his fingers and clatter on the table. He went back into the wallet and again took
out another card.
“Thomas Tide’s a driver, it says here. Is this meant to be a driver’s licence, Mr Tide? Is it as fake as that National
Insurance card? What car do you drive? I don’t see any car keys in your possession?”
He turned again to look at the man to which he received no response. The man’s eyes were cast down, now staring
at the plastic card.
“No keys, but … this.”
Crantham gently drew out a dried leaf from the wallet and held it up to the strip light.
It was an ivy leaf.
“The Ivy Gate…” Crantham murmured, he turned the leaf by the stalk, momentarily transfixed by the artefact.
‘“Y-you give that back.” The man was rising from his chair, causing the chain of his handcuff to rattle and clank on
the tabletop, piercingly loud in the quiet room.
“Ah, a little truth in all the fakery.” Crantham stood back, out of range of the man. “What is it, Mr Tide? A gift
from Father? A little piece of home to carry around with you?”
The man sat back down, slowly, never taking his eyes off the Doctor. The man was unsettled now, shifting
uncomfortably.
Crantham rested back into his chair across from the captive, pressing his advantage. He grinned at him.
“Yes, Thomas - if that’s your real name. I know too much, don’t I? What else do I know, eh? I know you’re using
every part of yourself to keep up that disguise. Birds and cats, Thomas. What are you underneath?”
The man was gritting his teeth, his fists clenched, bent forward.
“Stop…”
“Show me! I want to see the truth!”
Continued on inside back cover.
B
S L A I N D U S T R I E S : 2 N D E D I T I O N
THREAT ANALYSIS 1:
C O L L A T E R A L
Writing
Dave Allsop, Jared Earle, Benn Graybeaton, Mark Rapson
Rules
Benn Graybeaton
Art
Dave Allsop, Helge C. Balzer, Vlad Botos, Alberto Dal Lago,
Gregor Kari, Michele Giorgi, Jon Hodgson, Clint Langley,
Dave Melvin, Alyssa Menold, Mirco Paganessi,
Vincenzo Pratticò, Scott Purdy, Matteo Spirito
Cover & Rear Art
Dave Allsop, Matteo Spirito
Layout
Jared Earle, Mark Rapson
S5S Rules System
Chris ‘Shep’ Shepperson
Proofreaders
Jamie Cross
& the Kickstarter Backers
Nightfall Games are

Dave Allsop, Jared Earle, Benn Graybeaton, Garry Harper and Mark Rapson
C
SLA Industries
Created in Adobe InDesign on an Apple Mac Studio M1 Max using Waverly and Adobe Caslon type.
Copyright © 2023 Nightfall Games Ltd., All Rights Reserved. Designed in Scotland. Printed in Lithuania.
https://sla.industries/ - https://nightfall.games/
D
C O N T E N T S
Introduction - 2
Dream Entities - 6
Mort City Gangs - 50
Manchines - 82
Serial Killers - 100
Scary Monsters - 128
The Children Of Scarogg - 156
Planet Mort Fauna - 170
Naga 7 Division - 188
Index - 225
1
SLA INDUSTRIES
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Threat Analysis 1: Collateral is a sourcebook for the SLA Industries: 2nd Edition
role-playing game. This book provides the GM with extensive background, game
stats and equipment for a wide variety of enemies spawned from the universe SLA
has created; by-products of their corporate greed, neglect and corruption.
New character classes are included to deal with the collateral threats,
with dedicated skills, abilities, packages and equipment.
T H R E A T A N A L Y S I S 1
C O L L A T E R A L
SLA Industries has extensive files on Mort’s Collateral threats, stretching
across sentient enemies like the Carrien and Cannibals, a wide variety of
deadly fauna and more recently, the esoteric Dream Entities.
Even now, the library is expanding as new dangers are discovered in the five
Cannibal Sectors, in the No-Go Zone, even in Mort City itself.
From the deadliest Dream Entity Master to the lowliest Arrowhead Cockroach, they
pose a serious risk of anything they perceive as food and they lurk around every corner,
waiting in the cracks in a Downtown wall, a rotting sewer, even the troubled mind.
Threat Analysis and now Naga 7 Division have gone to considerable
lengths to research and catalogue Collateral, supplying the Operative with
crucial intel and warnings concerning every perceivable encounter.
“We shouldn’t be too quick to cast our hatred upon the threats SLA Industries refers to as Collateral
- a reductive insult. With perhaps rare exception, they bear no ill will against the company, nor are
they seeking vengeance. They are merely a small part of the greater whole, doing what they were
taught and told, seeking to survive and find their way in what could best be described as a broken
reality.
We must not punish them for our mistakes, the greatest being, of course, that we invented them.
Each and every one of them.
Whether that invention was consciously or subconsciously, is up for debate.”
Tarak Harakhebi – Neophron Operative, SCL 8c, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’.
2
3
SLA INDUSTRIES
D R E A M E N T I T I E S
They are creatures that are born of fear, folklore and memory. Dream Entities materialise
as a result of anomalies in the fabric of the universe. They appear as monsters to outsiders
because their basis in reality is the bleakest thoughts and darkest desires.
Despite their disturbing and horrific visages they are closer corporeally
to the people of Mort than they may dare to realise.
The truth of Dream Entities is the deepest of all secrets in the World of Progress.
M O R T C I T Y G A N G S
They are the discarded and abandoned children of Downtown and Suburbia. Rather than end up as statistical
deaths these desperate youths enter into the Charter of Gangs, taking that which was previously denied by force.
The gangs in Downtown have changed over the decades, adapting to the streets that are ever changing before
them, wherein the latest generation are the most aggressive, inventive and determined in recorded history.
M A N C H I N E S
They are the horrors of a bygone age, created by SLA Industries to quell the riots in the Fall of
300. The switch from ally to enemy was swift in the Manchines, they had their own agenda and a
new driving force: to shape themselves in the image of their creators and failed miserably.
The Manchines are feared not simply because they are epitome of the blank, emotionless killer in
robotic form, but because they crudely dress themselves in the skin and flesh of their victims.
Things may be changing now however, under the right circumstance and location the ancient
and relentless Manchine, after centuries of malignancy, may find redemption.
S E R I A L K I L L E R S
They are the broken, misled aberrations in Mort society, raised on a diet of televised gore, junk
food and ingrained malaise. Serial Killers in Downtown are Civilians who have been swallowed by
hate and frustration and left with nothing but an insatiable craving for fame and murder.
Though they are utterly loathsome in nature, they are the media darlings and aspirational figures in Mort City.
S C A R Y M O N S T E R S
They are the true victims of SLA Industries’ policies and its self serving and uncaring nature. They were the
ordinary folk of Central Outskirts, the noble indigenous species and the loyal soldiers of the company.
They were all systematically destroyed by SLA Industries, through neglect and corruption, with their own histories
and virtues erased, names lost and replaced with cruel titles like Cannibal, Carrien and Ex-War Criminal. Today,
they are simply scary monsters, meant to frighten children into good behaviour and to keep adults indoors at night.
4
T H E C H I L D R E N O F S C A R O G G
They are the cruel invention of a scientist lacking in sanity, morals or restraint. The Vodanoy are a
terrible combination of the worst genetic elements of countless species, but they take their physical
strength and ingenuity from the Shaktars. Like their father Scarogg, they are devoid of feeling and
will kill, steal, abuse and utilise anyone or anything that the Vodanoy believe is of use to them.
They are greatly feared in Mort City and in Cannibal Sector 1, the place where they began
their unnatural lives, the place where they earned their most common name - The Scavs.
P L A N E T M O R T F A U N A
They are creatures twisted and altered by Mort’s pollution and an increasingly hostile environment.
Whether in Downtown, the Cannibal Sectors or No-Go Zone the animal, insect and bird is
forced to struggle and fight, until it is as fierce and tenacious as the Carrien and Cannibal.
The fauna of Mort is uniformly ugly and disturbing but they have merely
evolved, adhering to prerequisites of a ruthless world.
They have endured centuries of hunger and challenge and now they are
the face of Mort. If they are hideous, then so are we.
N A G A 7 D I V I S I O N
They are a cryptic organisation who date back to the Formation Era who have now
returned to aid SLA Industries in a time of crisis. Naga 7 Division have been charged
with examining and resolving anomalies within the World of Progress.
These anomalies are malignant: such as the Dream Entities that are spawned from fear and fable and when
witnessed can challenge and disrupt the existence of a victim, resulting in a deadly disease known as The Grey.
Naga 7 Division has spent centuries studying the metaphysics of the World of Progress and the spaces
beyond. They have brought this ideology and experience into the company, in the form of Aethernauts
and Field Agents. The first, seeking to help the people of Mort, the other, vain and self serving.
5
T H R E A T A N A LY S I S 1 : C O L L A T E R A L
DREAM ENTITIES
“Dream Entities? Dream Entities!? What’s dreamy about Cannibal Sector 1. The Wall Shivers viewed the shifting
these bastards?! Whichever Aethernaut called them Dreams stains with trepidation, always filled with the feeling that
was having a laugh - they’re bloody Nightmares is what they these shadows had a sentience and that they were studying
are!” the inhabitants of the ruins, learning from them.
- Shiver Pvt. Shug Peterson, District 4, Sector 23-25. It was clear that creatures were drawn to cruelty and acts of
extreme violence and were taking inspiration on what to do
and what to become.
BIRTH OF A MONSTER In time, the shadows took on rudimentary forms, melding
from ill defined apparitions, into a semblance of what was a
A Dream Entity is the byproduct of a reality beset with new species, or the re-envisioning of a very old one.
logical errors and anomalies. It is a creature dredged up by
In the centuries that followed, the Dream Entities would
confusion, dread and imagination, within a region where the
grow and evolve, taking influence from the sinister world
normal laws of reality and truth are unstable. It begins as a
around them, yet misinterpreting the signals and shaping
simplistic form of negative energy that gradually transforms
themselves into disturbed monstrosities, resulting in forms
into a semi solid cocoon, also known as a Dream Sac.
skewed into caricatures of the original source.
Wherever there is instability in the fabric of reality these
Naga 7 Division takes the keenest interest in the subject of
strange black eggs will form. This sac will slowly draw in
Dream Entities and has spent a considerable amount of time
influence from its surroundings - its history of violence, its
and effort studying and categorising the many strange forms
horror and its centuries of folklore and thus it is fertilised.
that they have assumed during the course of their evolution.
The monster that breaks free from its cocoon is a Dream
They have also delved deeply into the origin of the species
Entity. A being that stands at odds with the world around it,
and accepted the dangerous truths that lie at the very core of
but given time the Entity will invoke the terrors that brought
what makes a Dream Entity and sets the individual and so
it into being and shape reality to its own disturbed will.
too the species, on its path to becoming whole.
Dream Entities embody fear. Even their physiological
Dream Entities are the consequence of an unstable universe.
make up is built up from the refinement of past horrors and
They defy and in some cases threaten to tear apart the laws of
current traumas. The malevolent and oppressive backdrop of
nature, physics and fabric of reality.They come into existence
Mort City provides the emerging Entity with everything it
through cracks in reality, where the strength of imagination,
needs to grow and advance; whispering tales of disturbing
terror and belief can be transmuted into sentient and in more
urban legends and absorbing the influence of violence and
advanced cases, physical form.
brutality, often just a thin apartment wall away.
The advancement of newborn Dream Entities invariably
Speak of a Dream Entity and it will appear. Literally.
takes on aggressive and predatory physical and psychological
This strange species first materialised on Mort towards the traits. Naga 7 Division purports this is based on the
end of the fifth century, in Cannibal Sector 1. They were overbearing dark subject matter of the Source Parent and
heralded by a black rain that fell over the ruins of the dead Area of Influence.
city.
Mort and much of the neighbouring World of Progress
The strange and unsettling deluge lasted for two days and is bleak and oppressive to the general population and thus
the inhabitants of the Sector were beset with horrific visions monsters are spawned to correspond with their environment.
and terrible imaginings soon after. The rains subsided but the
horrors remained. It was known as the Age of Nightmares, SICKNESS AND HYSTERIA
marking the birth of what would come to be known as the
Dream Entities. In their endless circulation of Downtown the Aethernauts
The first sightings of the Dream Entities were the living study Dream Entity activity and assess the threat levels. The
shadows; black smudges of solid darkness that drifted across stronger the influence of Dream Entities and other abnormal
disturbances such as summoned White Earth Denizens and
6
DREAM ENTITIES
the Shi’An Cult have on urban environs, the more they

disturb the fabric of reality.
At first this disturbance was difficult to clearly identify
but as these abnormalities escalated in Mort City it took on
virus-like symptoms.
This terrible disease is known as The Grey, which in turn
has spread throughout the Downtown Districts, infecting
bodies and minds.
Once a building or Civilian Sector has become contagious,
SLA Industries quarantines the area and it is marked as a
Grey Zone.
THE GREY ZONES

A Grey Zone represents a specific region or group of
individuals who have been completely taken over by The
Grey virus. Anyone untrained in high levels of Dream Lore
or trained as a Naga 7 operative are highly likely to contract
the disease and are thus forcibly confined to the region.
A Grey Zone is always designated by an Aethernaut after
days of research and analysis. They are loath to quarantine a
building, street or Sector and mark it as a Grey Zone because
the inhabitants are deemed lost to the virus and any attempt
to escape the Zone results in immediate execution.
It may only take one infected individual displaying
symptoms to spread like wildfire through a community and
within a matter of hours, hundreds may be experiencing the
Grey for the first and last time.
“The Grey is a frightening thing. The only known virus

that can spread by word of mouth. Even the mere rumour
that the Grey has been in a Sector may be enough to get it
going.
This is what happened in the Skipton Civi Block Incident.
A truly tragic case: I was assigned by the Division to inspect
and Report to Catalogue on the rate of infection and identify
the root cause Dream Entity.
It turned out there was no Entity hunting the building. A
couple of kids made up stories about a bag headed murderer
- Jimmy Crawlspace, hiding in the walls and they scared
themselves so bad one of the children caught the virus. Once
the other friends saw that colourless skin, they feared they’d
gotten it and so they had…
They ran home crying, driving that panic into their parents
and from there it just spread and spread.
Designating Skipton Block as a Grey Zone was the only
choice. Naga 7 sealed it off and 3rd Head Security Agents
gunned down anyone who tried to leave. It took about 10
days for the screaming to subside from within and that’s
when I was assigned to reenter the Grey Zone and back
report findings.
Everyone was dead by that point; either brutally murdered
or completely deconstructed by the Grey. All that was left
7
was a freshly conceived Dream Entity, calling itself Jimmy Dream Entities are allowed to persist they infect their locale
Crawlspace.” with a Memetic Disorder known as The Grey.
Aethernaut Babcock, Naga 7 Division, At present, only Naga 7 recognise the distinction
6th Head, Naga 7 Division. between Memetic Disorders and other diseases. Medical
organisations have been briefed that ‘The Grey is caused by
Once a building or region is deemed a ‘Grey Zone’ the xeno viruses that, while originally contracted from Carrien
investigating Aethernaut sprays a stencilled Grey Zone bites have recently become capable of spreading through
warning symbol on the walls of the infected area and proximity with infected patients.’
immediately sends word to Naga 7 Division. This information There is currently some debate as to whether there are two
is taken up by the 3rd Head, who will position armed security distinct strains or whether there is one strain that is more
around the location, preventing any inhabitants within the infectious when there is direct contact with a Dream Entity.
infected area from escaping. This debate is complicated by the fact that to a lay observer
3rd Head Security will not enter the location and typically both strains manifest in identical ways.
guard the Grey Zone for around 14 days (by which point the Once a victim has contracted The Grey they will endure
inhabitants will likely have starved to death) or when it has three distinct stages of deterioration before dying. The
been deemed clear by an Aethernaut. duration of illness varies, but most will last 7-10 days at the
Once given clearance by the 6th Head, Security will vacate very max. This is a dramatic change from earlier reported
the location, but there is no guarantee the Dream’s influence cases of The Grey (in which certain infected cases lasted
has entirely left the Grey Zone, it merely implies that the several months).
Civilians living in the infected zone are all deceased. Naga 7 Division suggests this deadlier strain of The Grey
Some of the more diligent Aethernauts will return several may be either the virus mutating into a more advanced
times to the cleared Grey Zone to check for Dream Sacs form, or that with increasing numbers of Dream Entities
and the emergence of Cryptids, resulting from the Zone’s materialising, The Grey has grown more potent and deadly.
terrible memories. Transmission of The Grey is not passed on by touch or any
Aethernauts rarely removed their Grey Zone warning other conventional means. Mostly it is contracted by sight,
symbols from the walls as they believe, in truth, the infected description or suspicion. The symptoms of stage 1 resemble
space is never completely cleared. the early effects of other diseases and can be concealed or
Some residue always remains and whilst the painted explained away. Once the sufferer begins to display the
symbol may crack and fade, the neighbourhood will always more apparent signifiers of The Grey, such as colourless skin
remember and know to avoid what was once a Grey Zone. and clothing, panic ensues and inspires feelings of dread,
resulting in more cases.
“ Yeah I’ve done 3 Cyan BPNs so far and one of them was
assisting an Aethernaut in a Grey Zone. That was one of my STAGE 1.
weirder gigs. Pretty nasty, we had to kill a whole bunch of
Civilians that were driven mad by a … what do they call Extreme nausea, vomiting and disorientation, similar
them? Cryptids? Yeah, it was a Cryptid; looked a bit like a to effects of motion sickness. Initial symptoms persist
Cannibal Mastiff, but had glowing blue eyes and was about throughout the course of infection. Strange dreams follow
four times the size. that the sufferer may not be able to recall on waking, leading
to feelings of panic and frustration. Black stains gradually
Damn thing could flit through walls and chew up armour appear on the face and neck of the victim which are painful
like it was cardboard. to the touch.
That wasn’t the worst bit. It was just seeing the physical
state of those Civilians. That grey skin and the looks on their STAGE 2.
faces.”
Drend Salerno, Human Operative, From conventional illness to imaginary horror. The
SCL 7, Squad ‘Stranger’s Tears’. victim grows pale at first then grey in the skin, leading to
desaturation in the eyes, hair and eventually every aspect
of their being, even the clothes they are wearing are utterly
THE GREY devoid of colour.
The presence of Dream Entities is a serious problem, not STAGE 3.

just for those unlucky enough to have to face them. Dream Final stage. Sections of the victim’s anatomy gradually turn
Entities are highly territorial in nature and while dangerous semi transparent, exposing the skeletal structure beneath
they are essentially the symptom of a greater issue. Where the glass-like flesh. Much of the pain and discomfort leaves
8
DREAM ENTITIES
The Grey: (Strain Y) MR 6.

VECTORS: Physical or Visual Exposure to a
Dream Entity or Stage 2 patient.
EFFECTS,
-1 STR, -1 DEX, -2 CONC.
STAGE 1:
PROGRESSION, Once infected the character must
Stage 2: make an MR 4 test every day for
five days. If any of these tests are
failed, then they progress to Stage
2 Infection. If the patient can go 5
days without failing a test, then the
infection will naturally fade away.
At Stage 2 Infection, The character
gains -1 rank in Psychosis: Paranoia
and their skin turns grey. The patient
must continue to take MR 4 tests
every day. Should they fail to make
an MR test they will progress to
Stage 3 Infection. Until this point
treatment is still possible.
PROGRESSION, At this point the patient's skin will
Stage 3: turn translucent and they will suffer
a further -1 STR, DEX and CONC.
They will be forced to continue making
daily MR 4 tests, though they will
now suffer a penalty on the test equal
to the number of days they’ve been
the body and the sufferer slides into a somnambulant state, at Stage 3. If there is a further failure
barely conscious of themselves or their surroundings. This to make an MR 4 test the character
phase lasts around a week before The Grey victim expires will die and be reduced to dust.
and disintegrates into a mess of colourless foul smelling TREATMENT: Treatment Rating 10, Consistent
muck and powdered bone. (Aethernauts are more concerned self assertion, euphorics. Stage
if the remains smell of cinnamon, which indicates they are 2 requires Luminosity.
close to a source).
NOTE: Earlier strains required physical contact, Strain
MEMETIC DISORDERS Y is far more aggressive in its ability to spread, while
patients that have successfully combated The Grey tend
A Memetic Disorder is a particular type of Toxicant that is to be resistant against future infections, unless the root
passed through psychosocial activities rather than by viruses cause is resolved, patients that progress to Stage 2 are very
or pathogens. They are not psychosomatic but instead a likely to suffer repeat infection. Where there are multiple
physical state caused through unknown or poorly understood Dream Entities present in the area the MR can increase.
mechanisms. In general, Memetic Disorders follow all the
Toxicant rules with a few modifications. Instead of an IR, The Grey: (Strain X) MR: 12
Memetic Disorders have an MR (Memetic Rating) which is VECTORS: Physical Contact with Dream Entities.
functionally identical.
EFFECTS,
Similarly, when resisting a Memetic Disorder instead of -1 STR, -2 CONC,
STAGE 1:
rolling 1d10 and adding STR an exposed character rolls
1d10 and adds COOL. Memetic Disorders are treated with PROGRESSION, After 7 days. Gain -1 rank in
the Medical skill but due to their esoteric nature there is a Stage 2: Psychosis: Paranoia, skin turns grey.
penalty to the test. This penalty starts at -4, but every rank of PROGRESSION, After 7 days. Skin turns
Dream Lore will reduce this penalty by 1. Stage 3: translucent, the patient must take
a daily MR 12 test or Die.
For Example: A character with Dream Lore 2 has a -2
TREATMENT: Treatment Rating: 12. Consistent
penalty to treat Memetic Disorders.
self assertion, euphorics. Later
stages need Luminosity.
9
LUMINOSITY DOWNTOWN IMPACT

Luminosity is the premier treatment for Memetic There’s never been a worse time to be a Downtown Civilian
Disorders, particularly The Grey. Like Mr Minty’s Mints, in Mort City.
Luminosity is largely dependent on the Placebo Effect and
Just leaving one’s apartment can lead to a bad end via
hence comes in a special sealed plastic box with Luminosity
numerous means. There are gangs to extort money from you
written on the side in exaggerated letters.
or worse, Virtue Squads who may simply beat you up for fun
Inside the box is a usage waiver, a single syringe with a vial or ridiculous political reasons. There are Cults, Serial Killers
of faintly glowing liquid and a side effects document that and Serial Killer Cults. There are all the familiar horrors
stresses while Luminosity IS a guaranteed cure for The Grey - Carrien, Manchines, all manner of insects, vermin and
and other similar pathogens it WILL in all likelihood cause disease and then are those sent to police the streets and keep
the patient to suffer one of up to sixty side effects from toe Mort City safe - the Shiver, who can end being as corrupt,
fungus to premature balding. brutal and violent as any Collateral threat.
This is largely theatre. The chemical is made up of a To top it all off, there is the final end product of every
concentrated dose of the active ingredients found in Mr terrible thought or atrocious act in Mort gradually taking
Minty Mints, mixed with a mildly radioactive substance that shape in the form of the Dream Entities.
makes it glow. The purpose of this deception is to give the
The average Downtown Civilian has only reached the age
patient and doctor the psychological tools to help overcome
of 18 because she knew how to avoid trouble, defend herself
the infection.
and spot all the warning signs well in advance: Shivers can
Luminosity Cost: NA never be trusted, the old man who stinks of rancid flesh is
-3 to Initiative +4 Bonus on MR likely a Manchine, the hard scraping sound behind the wall
Effect:
and Treatment tests to resist Stage is probably giant grey rats or even Carrien and it’s time to
1&2 Grey infection, All uses of run.
Charisma based skills gain a +4 Usually the motivations of the local threat is predictable -
modifier to their success Dice they have a innate hunger, for murder, for flesh, for the skin
when targeting the patient. on your face. But when Dream Entities began to seep into
Downtown society the public was completely taken unaware.
Addiction Rating: 5 Every 3 doses.
It started with the strange oily black eggs nestled in dark
Addiction Dose: Every 48 hours.
corners and iron ceiling beams that emitted a disturbing blue
Detox Effect: -2 COOL. glow. Shadows would whisper and murmur and slip and shift
Luminosity is usually kept for high priority cases, but some across apartment walls. Odd gelatinous ill-defined figures
Aethernauts, particularly those with a high SCL,make sure would writhe, contort whilst assuming a solidified form and
to keep it handy at all times. then finally skitter off into the deeper recesses.
Downtown Civilians were hesitant to report their
“Report to Catalogue, encounters because they couldn’t fully acknowledge exactly
I apologise in advance but I insisted on an audience with what they were even seeing. Sentient Shadows? Whispering
The Authority concerning recent findings. Please review my darkness? What were Shivers or Operatives expected to do
recently submitted documentation, ‘Subject: Grey Y Variant’. to help?
The Grey virus has been mutating with frightening It didn’t take long for the first engagements to occur
rapidity on Mort and the very latest strain - ‘ Y Strain’ is not between Civilians and Dream Entities.
killing the host. The victim undergoes what I would suggest
is a Stage 4 and are developing physical and psychological “My first encounter with one of these things, whatever they
characteristics similar to Dream Entities. are, was just horrible.
I urge you to submit ‘Subject: Grey Y Variant’ to The It was pale and skinny, like a Manchine. It didn’t have any
Authority and grant me access to the Level 3 files. I have hair on its body, no nose. It was completely naked but had no
more research analysis that cannot and should not be filed genitalia either. It had one eye that was somewhere down the
with Catalogue. left side of its cheek.
I need to speak with the Division Heads.” It was late on a Tuesday night and I was just sneaking my
way back home from the off-licence when this ‘thing’ pulled
Aethernaut Grugar, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
me into an alleyway and threw me up against the wall. It
started tearing at my clothes and I thought it was going to …
but it just started to examine me, all hunkered over staring
10
DREAM ENTITIES
at my chest, my face, my hair, everything with that, that, Of all the localised threats a Civilian will encounter, the
awful looking black eye. category they will report the least is Dream Entities.
All the time it was doing this it had one hand clasped at my At first it was due to credibility; the witness fearing ridicule
throat. It was strong, despite being so scrawny. or perhaps even incarceration, but now it is the genuine fear
It was muttering to itself in some language I didn’t their neighbourhood will be quarantined as a Grey Zone.
understand. I tried to reason with it but it came up to my There is little that will terrify a Civilian as much as
face real quick and just hissed at me. Then it set about going discovering the first tell tale symptoms of The Grey on
through my belongings. It didn’t touch my unis or bank cards: their skin, but reporting such infection will almost certainly
it was more interested in my keys, my lipstick and the photos result in a death sentence so the evidence is hidden under
in my wallet. Its grip slackened for a moment when it saw clothing and behind locked doors until the illness cannot be
the photo of my Danny. He was only 4 when I … lost him. concealed any longer and the problem has escalated into a
This thing looked up at me, then back at the photo. It let me fully recognised Grey Zone.
go then and I still struggle to understand this even now; it Aethernauts of the 6th Head have tried to allay the fears
picked up my stuff and gave it back to me. It ran away and I of the Downtown public and expressed their desire to help,
never thought I’d ever see it again. support and find a cure for the afflicted but to little success.
I did though, several months later it was dressed in clothes The dread associated with Dream Entities and The Grey
I think it’d stolen from a transient. It now had the face of only makes them stronger and more prevalent.
Danny. In the photo Danny was smiling, gaps in his teeth.
It had copied him … exactly, but that expression never LOGIC OF DREAM ENTITIES
changed. It had no meaning. That thing didn’t understand
why Danny was smiling. It didn’t understand happiness. Or Since Dream Entities take such a long time to adhere to
grief. The grief it was driving into me. the normal laws of reality, entirely new forms of biology and
It waved at me and left me crying. I never saw it again.” evolution were created to understand the species. Whilst
- Mona Kerr, (36), Downtown Civilian - Human. they do not mate, procreate or mature in the conventional
sense, there are patterns in their growth and development
which the members of Naga 7 Division have been able to
11
categorise, with the majority of advanced and integrated as their origins and personalities deem it necessary; the sheer
Dream Entities having followed a strange yet analogous act of Cannibalism fortifies them, making them more real.
path.
All Dream Entities transitioned through the same five “It’s a dog eat dog world, well actually, it’s pretty much
phases of transformation: Embryonic, Juvenile, Bloom, anything eat anything on Mort. I mean, we’re the home of
Consolidation and in rare instances, Integration. the Cannibal, for fuck’s sake. We literally devoted 5 whole
cities to cannibalism; flesh eating is clearly ‘a thing’, so it’s
Consumption hardly surprising that those Dream Entities got in on the
Dream Entities feed on emotions and imagination, they action.
need this to develop into complex beings. Without these You ask any Civilian what they fear and a whole load just
elements the Dream Entities start to wither and disappear say ‘I don’t want to be eaten by Carrien’, but you can extend
(see Dream Atrophy) into black steam. Naga 7 Division do that to pigs, rats, skulkers, mutants and this list rocks on.
not yet know if this is a true death, or if they are simply That’s a whole lot of fear for Dream Entities to work with.
deconstructing themselves back into a simplified format in
I’m sure they like the taste too.”
order to try again in a different direction. As they return
back into a raw form these creatures lose much of their Joffa ‘Breezy’ Metcalfe, Human Operative,
initial identity and psychological makeup. SCL 7d, Squad ‘The No Go Zoners’.
Still, on a planet as varied, busy and sinister as Mort, very
In time, though, as the Entity advances they will need to
few Dream Entities fail to get a creative foothold in their
eat physical materials for conventional reasons - they hunger
chosen environment and most flourish with plenty of misery,
for actual food and fluid.
horror and death to absorb into their pores.
By this point, the Entity sits uncomfortably between real
Dream Entities will, however, substitute their diet with the
and unreal and their Integration phase has begun.
flesh and blood of their victims, although at first it is not for
their nutritional properties, rather it is what they represent. As yet, it is not certain any singular Entity has fully
Cannibal Fleshbags, for example, need to consume raw meat integrated yet, but since such complex Entities require two
forms of sustenance it will make them voracious predators.
12
DREAM ENTITIES
This predicament is highly common among Cryptids, high

level Effigies, Titters and Masters.
DREAM ATROPHY
If the Dream Entity does not source enough fear to
feed upon or finds its body rejecting the influence of its
surroundings, the creature may experience Dream Atrophy.
The symptoms are a growing sense of lethargy and malaise,
followed by stiffening and degeneration of their physical
form and musculature.
For most species these warning signs of ill health would
be great cause for alarm, yet the Dream Entity merely
acknowledges that it has likely chosen a weak path in its
progression and its physical makeup is resisting further
change in this direction.
Once the Entity experiences the symptoms of Dream
Atrophy they will in most instances seek out a quiet secluded
location and return to basics, shedding their current form
and seeking rest and recovery in a Dream Shroud.
DREAM SHROUD
Dream Entities based in more remote regions like
the Cannibal Sectors and The Deep Construct may
find themselves starved for influence and fear. They are
experiencing Dream Atrophy (see above) and elect to enter a
form of hibernation until the region changes or such a time
as they wish to wake. Hibernating Entities typically surface from slumber when
sentient, enticing beings approach or settle near the location.
In order to enter this torpor, the Dream Entity must encase
themselves in a Shroud. This sac is gleaned from the skin It is a slow rousing, with the Entity’s growing state of
of recent victims and the entity will sup and spew Enmity consciousness samples of its neighbours thought processes
Blasts on these skins until they have fermented and turned and anxieties, before tearing free from the Shroud and
black. The treated skins are then applied and adhere to the resuming activity.
Entity’s entire body. The cast off sheath is taken as a warning sign to Aethernauts
Once inside the freshly activated Shroud the Dream Entity and Trackers who can analyse the condition of the Shroud
may enter stasis for decades, even centuries at a time. The and glean a few facts as to the Entity’s power level.
Dream Entity does not require physical sustenance (unless
part of its psychological make up) so it will not emerge from “This Shroud still has a strong scent; they usually lose that
the Shroud to feed during hibernation. once the Entity has discarded it, unless they’re higher level,
then it lingers on. See how when I shine my torch on the
Shrouds are rarely disturbed in these barren locations and
material it seems to almost absorb the light itself ? This also
fauna tends to steer clear of the resting Entity. Shrouds emit
denotes a complex Entity. You also notice crimson threading
a strong sweet cinnamon-like scent, commonly associated
into the black - that’s quite common with Effigy class beings.
with Dream Entities which is extremely unpleasant to
They like to infuse more blood into the Shroud as it makes
conventional species such as Pigs, Carrien and Rats who will
their dreamstate more pleasurable and they can relive their
purposefully avoid the Shroud’s position.
victim’s deaths.
Distorters do however like the sweet smell and linger in
Get the Operatives to tool up, we’ve got a bad one here. I
close proximity to the Entity in slumber, nibbling on the
need to make a report to Catalogue, now for goodness sake
surface layer of its subconscious musings. This serves as a
don’t touch it. You won’t sleep for weeks if you do.”
symbiotic relationship because the Distorters will build
artificial realities around the torpid Dream Entity, concealing Aethernaut Pettigrew, Naga 7 Division, 6th Head.
it from detection by creating fake walls and corridors leading
away from it.
13
comprehend the reference or their origin. They exist and

SOURCE PARENT react in the moment and rarely question how they came into
being.
“It was inevitable that the Heywood Tunnel would serve A Source Parent may be a notorious individual, living or
as a powerful Area of Influence. Frank Muntz had been dead (Serial Killers tend to be the most likely to serve as
targeting the derelict underpass and the female workers Source Parents in the Downtown Area), an urban legend or
from the Your Best Pal doll factory returning from their the rumour surrounding a haunting location.
nightshift for many years. The region built a sizable amount
of negative energy and all it would take was one lone Dream The resulting Dream Entity is rarely a carbon copy of the
Sac to create further havoc. Source; it is a weaponized rendition of it, a cruel and hostile
caricature.
The end product was Mr Touch: an entity whose needs far
exceeded the sexual hunger and crimes ever imagined by the The Source Parent is not always obvious to the Aethernaut
late Source Parent. and they may have to spend weeks or even months examining
the Entity’s surroundings and studying its behaviour. All too
We will be spending the remainder of the week studying often there is no clear explanation and the Entity’s origin is
this particular Dream Entity. Please turn to page 33 of your as enigmatic as their appearance.
current Braddock’s Menagerie and we shall begin.”
Aethernaut Crowden, serving Lecturer, ‘Disquisition
of Mr Touch.’, The Blackwood University. AREA OF INFLUENCE
This is a term created by the Aethernauts to ascribe the “Heh, such a tricky little term, isn’t it? The so-called ‘Area’
source of a Dream Entity’s invention and influence. A single influences the form and personality of the young Dream
Dream Entity may have one or multiple Source Parents, but Entity and in time the Dream Entity will influence the
usually the Parent is based around fear and phobia, leading ‘Area’.”
to the creation of aggressive and dangerous Entities. Lecturer Winston Fitzoy, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
In most cases, the Dream Entity has never met the
Source Parent and likely never will nor will they even fully
14
DREAM ENTITIES
It is important that Naga 7 agents do not simply catalogue sometimes seeking out a new home in unfamiliar territory
the Dream Entity but also the area in which it was birthed which they feel have rich or easy pickings. Such Entities
and now serves as its hunting ground. If the Entity has may draw unwanted attention from SLA Industries as they
developed considerably in a short space of time it likely find themselves in a territorial feud with the resident Dream
presents numerous risks to Civilians and Operatives alike. Entity who really does not take kindly to intruders.
The Area of Influence will develop Dream Sacs and in a These fights over regions usually end in death for one of the
backdrop of economic depression and localised violence warring Dream Entities, but the feud can generate enough
these eggs will swiftly hatch fresh Helions, inspired by negative energy in the region to create a Grey Zone.
everything they hear and feel, from endless infant cries,
to screaming torture victims, to the verbose storytelling of BIO CLASSIFICATION
drunken Shivers.
The shape and form of the Dream Entity within its Area
of Influence may also indicate other threat factions living EMBRYONIC PHASE
nearby (see Source Parent).
The lifecycle of a Dream Entity begins in the Embryonic
Aethernauts may spend more time reporting on the folklore
Phase. Naga 7 finds this early phase among the most
and criminal history of an Area of Influence as they will on
troubling as it is speculative in nature.
the Entity it has spawned.
There is much conjecture as to how the initial Dream
“Report to Catalogue, Entity is brought into being, who or what forms the physical
I’m currently relaying information from and about District egg (most commonly known a Dream Sac) in reality, but at
8, Sector 14. The locals have been living in fear of what they present there is no definitive answer.
simply refer to as the ‘Red Skeleton’. Members of the Naga’s 6th head suggest the materialisation
I have already listed this entity as a Cryptid status of Dream Sacs is linked to Areas of Influence: specific
threat, which has been hunting and killing in the AoI for regions within Mort City and the World of Progress that
approximately 8 months. give rise to urban folklore - such as warzones, crime scenes
or adjacent locations where groups or individuals gather to
The Source Parent could be a Manchine that was operating talk and muse on particular topics.
in the Sector 3 years ago called ‘Queen Crimson’ and Red
Skeleton may have taken up her mantle. These are the breeding grounds for Dream Entities wherein
wild theory and tall tales cry out for resolution. They are
That said there have also been tales of a Serial Killer regions of high instabilities and anomalies.
Cognate that skinned and ate their victims flesh 75 years
ago. That’s what the local Shiver patrol told me anyway, but
they weren’t able to supply a name for the group. They did
however make mention that Cognate always took the pinky
finger of each of their victims as a memento. If I can track
Red Skeleton to its lair we may better ascertain the Entity’s
origin.
At present I will try to gain a greater understanding of
Red Skeleton’s Area of Influence and see if I can dig up some
more evidence.
Report Ends.”
Aethernaut Groven, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
UNFETTERED
Unfettered Dream Entities are entirely independent, wild
and feral. They largely operate alone and have yet to have
been brought under the control of a Dream Entity Master.
One can tell at a glance whether or not a Dream Entity
is Unfettered; they will not have the blue glowing mark on
their forehead.
Unfettered Dream Entities are capricious creatures who
will often stray far from their initial Area of Influence,
15
“That donut shop over there used to be the Old Brothel There is now talk of equipping Fire Shivers with Klippo K1
which burned down 15 years ago. Infernos to enter infected locations and simply burn them
The fire was started by Mike Axegringer, a Serial Killer away. SLA nonetheless has some concerns with this and are
with a real problem with women and handsome boys. He unsure if the less trained and experienced Shivers can cope
barred the exits and sat back to watch those poor workers fry, with such an abstract threat, since there are often Helions
all 25 of ‘em. and more advanced Entities lurking among the egg crops.
I grew up across the street and after the Brothel was Naga 7 Division is electing to create special 3rd Head clean
nothing more than a charred husk I’d still hear their screams up crews to deal specifically with these Dream Entity nests.
at night. I was just a kid and it gave me nightmares of Mike Dream Sacs gather and solidify from negative energy,
Axegrinder standing over my bed laughing, like he had on but there are still many unanswered questions, like what
that night. intelligence presides over them and what dictates the number.
He has fire in his eyes.” Threat Analysis has devoted considerable study into the
Derek Skinner, Barman, The Golden Jolt Glove. subject of Dream Entities but it is uncovering new truths
surrounding such ghastly eggs. There has been cited evidence
that the Derros tend and harvest the Sacs, but there is no
DREAM SACS subsequent data to suggest they are the ones birthing more
eggs, especially since evidence of Dream Sacs predates early
“They’re starting to be a common sight on Mort and Ops encounters with this species.
aren’t scared at the sight of these black eggs cropping up all As such, Dream Sacs’ exact origins still remain unclear, with
over the city, but they should be. They should be frightened by underlying fears that nothing specific creates them beyond
the fact that there are so many. It’s all confined to Downtown simple temporal instability and that there may be some
and below, but I’m worried for the day these Dream Sacs dreadful connection with the Deep Construct far below.
start showing up in Suburbia.
Then the problem really is on SLA’s doorstep.” HELION
Sgt. Rafferty, Shiver Patrol District 2, Sectors 4-7.
The occupant of a Dream Sac grows within for a period
All Entities are spawned from a Dream Sac and the crops of 1-2 weeks, slowly absorbing influence from its Source
of these black and blue glowing eggs are on the rise in Mort Parent. Once the Entity obtains sentience it bursts free from
City. its egg and enters its new reality.
SLA Industries is determined to wipe out the nests In this phase, the Entity is referred to as a Helion, which
wherever they find them, even in the deeper levels. is rudimentary in its form and mind. Its appearance bears
the vestiges of the Source Parent and the physical attributes
it feels it needs to survive. Some appear as little more than
shadow and smoke, others adopt a more liquid, translucent
shape, but even in more solid form it is unstable and subject
to transition.
The newborn Helion stands around 3-4 feet in
height and spends its first days and weeks close to
the nest, torturing and feeding on small fauna such
as rodents and insects, experimenting in pain and
forging a direction. Once it feels ready to break free
it will abandon the nest to seek a purposeful future.
The Helion will continue to transform and form
into either an Apparition, with the physical
elements of its body fading, to be replaced
entirely by aeriform build or the opposite,
presenting rapid growth and a mostly
physical presence as one of the many
recognised Effigies.
Helions attack and defend
themselves mainly with whatever
passes for teeth and claws but if they
are deeply threatened or
16
DREAM ENTITIES
feeling especially cruel they will focus their energies on basic Most Apparitions tend to transition into a Bloom Phase
reality distortions. Effigy but some stay in their Juvenile shape for much
This early ability is an inherited trait carried over from the more extended, if not indefinite, periods.
Dream Sacs and may fade in time if the Helion adopts a less Presently there are three known types of Apparition
cerebral route, while Distorters and Titters embrace the gift. but as the Aethernauts engage in further research it is
highly likely that over time additional subtypes will be
Hellion discovered. The three known types of Apparitions are
STR DEX KNOW CONC Distorters, Flickers and Shadows.
0 2 2 3 DISTORTER
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
0 6 0 +5 “ Yeah, Distorters… nasty little buggers. They don’t look
Hit Points Closing Rushing like much, but they’re real good at messing up your day, your
head, maybe even your entire existence.”
6 1 4
Gellen Sildravan ‘Silver’, Ebon Operative,
Skills SCL 8b, Squad ‘Dusty Lavender’.
Detect: 2 Distort: 2
Most victims of a Distorter never see the Dream Entity
Stealth: 3 Survival: 1 in its true form. They are too caught up in the illusory
Torture: 3 Unarmed Combat: 1 environment the Distorter has conjured around them.
The Distorter is made up of a small, indistinct, grey
Equipment & Abilities
patterned sphere, which cloaks itself in a mist of coloured
Aeriform Body, Lesser Reality Distortion 10, Rift Teeth. smoke and motes of light. It hovers above its intended target,
waiting until it comes in range then draws them into a room,
or corridor that simply is not there; a constructed reality
JUVENILE PHASE shaped by the Distorter to ensnare, injure or even kill its prey.
The victim cannot see he is walking into a trap, be it a
It isn’t long before the Entity breaks free from the nest 20 foot drop beneath an imaginary steel floor or an ever
and ventures out on their own in search of a new Area of changing hall that has no visible exit. In this hellish trick,
Influence and replacement Source Parent. the Distorter syphons off and feeds from the wanderer’s
In this Juvenile Phase, the Entity may transform in two confusion, fear and pain.
ways, either retaining its solid form carried over from the
Helion phase, or they find themselves directionless and take
on a more amorphous smoke-like form, as an Apparition.
As a Juvenile, the Dream Entity first acknowledges fear
and horror in the environment around it and garners a deep
hunger. It will spend these first few months silently stalking
the streets, hiding in gloom and absorbing Downtown pain
and violence.
As it feeds, the Dream Entity builds a sense of identity
and specific taste. Towards the end of the Juvenile Phase
the Dream Entity knows what it likes and wants from the
people it observes.
A modest few stay forever in their Apparition form, settling
into the existence of an Apparition, but most fully bloom
into something terrifyingly real.
Apparitions: The term Apparition constitutes a series of

spectral Dream Entities that are too rudimentary to be
controlled by a Dream Entity Master. They wander the
Cannibal Sectors and worst parts of Lower Downtown
alone, feeding on the fears and anxieties of other species.
17
Distorters will draw out this torment as much as possible, is directed towards them. They revel in the uncertainty of
revelling in the absurd cruelty until the victim goes insane, or their actual existence in the mind of the victim and watching
even dies of starvation. this confusion lead to the target’s own self doubt and the
Beyond their reality bending powers Distorters are questioning of their own sanity.
relatively weak Entities, where if detected a single bullet Much like the Shadow Entity, the Flicker will whisper
from FEN 603 will dispel it in an instant. to and torture their victim, however these dark mutterings
Recognising its own vulnerabilities a Distorter will often have more intent for the Flicker. It will enjoy the gradual
align with one or more powerful Entities, creating a warped rewriting of the person’s mind, making them more pliable
stage for a performance to take place and the mutually and open to suggestion.
beneficial murder of a trapped individual, ending in a tasty The Flicker will try to persuade the harried individual to act
meal for all involved. against their own self interest. They will push the victim to
Distorters were native to Cannibal Sector 1, but they have the brink of madness, then tell them to injure themselves in
appeared in increasing numbers in Downtown, dredged up some gruesome way, or wander outside to murder a stranger.
by fear of the region’s labyrinthine Districts and the panic of Fledgling Flickers will often select softer prey to taunt and
getting hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar environment. harass: drug addicted Civilians and alcoholics whose minds
have been weakened by substance abuse. Such victims were
Distorter (Apparition) already prone to disturbing behaviour and introspection so
STR DEX KNOW CONC young Dream Entities can go undetected for a considerable
time.
0 2 5 5
As they grow Flickers will hone their abilities, like Time
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Distortion wherein the victim’s nightmarish existence is
0 7 0 +7 slowed to a crawl, following the direction of the Dream
Hit Points Closing Rushing Entity and watch as their misdeeds play out in slow motion
before their eyes.
5 2 5
When the Flicker grows weary of
Skills its victim it will spend several hours
Detect: 3 Distort: 3 cutting away at them and watching
them bleed out. They use the Time
Stealth: 4 Survival: 2 Distortion ability against their
Torture: 3 prey now, as they cannot evade
or detect the swift incoming
attacks.
Aeriform Body, Memetic Vector, The hunting pattern of
Moderate Reality Distortion 10. the Flicker is slow and
methodical and they
FLICKER much prefer weaker,
isolated figures who
Living in Downtown breeds paranoia and mistrust. The
they surmise will
moment a Civilian exits the safety of his apartment he is
not put up
entering a world of danger and violence. The subterranean
too much
streets in the Downtown Sector are full of strangers that
of a fight.
could mean harm and if the brutal Shivers aren’t running the
F lickers
street, the local gang will.
are
He could be threatened, mugged, or even brutally murdered.
Everyone and everything wants a piece of the lone Civilian
and any seemingly irrational fears are well founded in Mort
City. The footsteps in the dark could mean trouble and there’s
a high chance that the unseen figure will follow you home…
The Flicker Dream Entity type is the embodiment of this
mounting anxiety and the trepidation and resentment it
grows in the mind.
Flickers toy with their chosen victims incessantly, never
fully revealing themselves but issuing their vague presence in
the corner of their prey’s eyes, only to disappear when vision
18
DREAM ENTITIES
essentially quite cowardly Dream Entities and will fade

into the background when Aethernauts and AetherTrackers
approach and will wait until they move on before continuing
their cruel games.
Flickers are entirely composed of a grey/black steam with
momentary solid humanoid features glimpsed for a brief
moment. When excited by their sadistic actions the Flicker
flare with streaks of red light.
Flicker (Apparition)
STR DEX KNOW CONC
3 5 3 4
3 7 0 +9
Hit Points Closing Rushing
18 2 6
Skills
Stealth: 4 Survival: 2
Torture: 2

Aeriform Body, Time Distortion, Memetic
Vector, Mind Control, Mimicry.
Shadows are the most common form of Apparition
SHADOW during the Juvenile Phase. They are found throughout the
Downtown Districts, both Inner and Lower, stalking the
gloomy corridors and derelict buildings in search of fresh
“‘Want to know how you can guarantee a kid’s going to
prey.
spend their life in therapy? A mom tells her daughter there’s
nothing hiding in the darkened closet and there’s nothing to They thrive in these regions as they are able to tap into
fear. one of the greatest Source Parents possible - the Downtown
Civilian’s fear of the dark.
Except there is. She opens the door to the closet so she can
prove her point. Mom clicks on the light and there’s a 7 foot The vulnerable citizens of Mort City have good reason
tall Shadow standing there, grinning at her. to be fearful of the darkness in their world; any number of
potential threats lurk within, waiting to grab and tear down
She screams. Kid screams. We all scream, for ice cream.
unwary victims.
The neighbours call the Shivers and then Shivers call us.
Shadows let the darkness consume and shelter them,
‘Course by the time we get there the Shadow’s long gone. It
merging with the gloom and patiently waiting for a lone
skinned that poor mother right in front of the kid, who is
passerby. They will scratch at the walls with their claws and
by this point catatonic with terror. No injuries visible. Well,
lightly whisper incomprehensible words to entice and stir
except for the word ‘Hi.’ the Entity carved on the girl’s
up the dread in their target before bursting forth from the
forehead.
blackness.
‘Reckon we might have a bad one here. A Shadow about to
As Shadows evolve they develop a sadistic streak, zeroing
transition into the next phase of its development.
in on a single target and tormenting them for days or even
In two weeks I’ve seen reports of at least 4 children with weeks. The Shadow effectively stalks its prey, shifting into
that exact same Hi on their heads and there’s going to be a their living space and inhabiting the dark corner of their
lot more on the way.” apartment, knocking over items and hinting at its presence.
Bryan Harding – Human Operative, The Shadow will sit by their bedside while they sleep and
SCL 9, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’. quietly feed on the victim’s restless slumber and disturbing
nightmares.
19
Once the prey is suitably prepared for slaughter, or if the Most Effigies appear as a warped version of some actual
Shadow has tired of the cruel game it will finally materialise creature. They look like a drawing taken from memory
and murder its fixation with jet black claws. and drawn on a shaking table. They are easily controlled by
The form of a Shadow is often amorphous and indistinct, Dream Entity Masters and are often drawn to congregate
bearing only the basic features of a smoky back humanoid in vast packs awaiting the orders of their masters.
outline. Over time this visage may take on a more skeletal- These packs roam Cannibal Sector 1 and more recently,
like appearance, even going so far as to materialise a Downtown, seeking prey to feast upon, but occasionally
rudimentary depiction of a skull. they are found simply inert, like lifeless statues, gazing
into nothingness.
Shadows that devote more time to the stalking and
harassing their victims are more likely to advance quicker
in their development, becoming what is known as a Pitch
GREEN HORROR
Shadow. These are mercifully rare in Downtown - forgoing A Green Horror is a form of Effigy dredged up by the
any further development or consolidation and simply honing massacre of Project Red Sky in 908sd. SLA Industries
their Shadow traits to a lethal degree. attempted to take back the Elmar Estates from its inhabitants,
sending forth countless ill equipped and ill prepared Shivers
Shadow (Apparition)
into Cannibal Sector One, to die in a futile war.
STR DEX KNOW CONC No attempt was made to retrieve the dead, so their corpses
2 4 3 4 lay strewn across the ruined city to be fed upon by Croaks,
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Rats and Cannibals.
0 6 0 +8 The Estates were renamed Green Hell as the grounds
were littered with the standard green Body Blocker armour
Hit Points Closing Rushing remnants.
14 2 6 In time, the Dream Entities drew influence from such a
Skills staggeringly large Source Parent and the end result was the
vicious, lumbering Green Horror Effigy.
As with all Effigies, the Green Horrors seek revenge for
Intimidation: 4 Stealth: 4 the Project Red Sky disaster, seeing everything with their
Torture: 4 Unarmed Combat: 3 environment as to blame for their loss and rage. They will
go after Cannibals, Carrien, Scavs, even BridgeHead Shivers
Equipment & Abilities whom they deem traitors or enemies of a side they were
Aeriform Body, Memetic Vector, never truly a part of.
Shadow Claws, Shadow Merge. Green Horrors cannot have their views altered since
hatred fuels their being and anything outside their limited
Note: Pitch Shadows have +1 DEX, KNOW and COOL.
understanding is rationalised as a deadly threat or despicable
coward.
BLOOM PHASE Green Horrors bear all the traditional visual cues of a
Shiver Trooper, but the interpretation is warped and twisted
The Dream Entity enters full adulthood in the Bloom out of proportion and sense. Their Body Blocker armour is
Phase. It is the time in which the Entity settles into and organic and sculpted into the body and their faces are that of
embodies its Area of Influence, replacing and assuming the a snarling grimace or a bloody corpse.
role of Source Parent that once inspired it so deeply. Green Horrors always recognise their own, however and
The Entity’s mind and physical shape solidifies, taking on upon encountering they will always group together, aping
the persona of a vengeful and sadistic murder victim, freakish the rank and file hierarchy they knew from a life they never
caricature of a child or in some instances it is molded to a lived.
form sought by a Dream Entity Master - shaped to serve These Effigy gatherings can swell to considerable numbers,
and kill. marching across the ruins of Cannibal Sector 1, searching for
Effigies: Once an Entity sloughs off its ephemeral form battle that will sate their hunger for vengeance, always keen
they materialise as a physical being known as an Effigy. to lay siege to Cannibal Clan lairs and Shiver BridgeHeads.
These beings are approximations of life, their internal Green Horrors attack with claw-like extension of their
organs don’t seem to connect in any rational biological living armour and mangled depiction of a gauss rifle which
manner, though they certainly bleed and leave behind is literally growing from the ends of the arms, which fires
viscera. hate filled gouts of blackish bile, known as an Enmity Blast.
20
DREAM ENTITIES
on the centuries of horror and torment generated by the

vast crumbling city. The Screamer’s roughly sculpted form
conveys a troubling mix of terror, anguish and insanity.
The Screamers earn their name from the blood curdling
shrieks they emit from twisted mouths spread across their
bodies. They constantly seek out fresh victims to kill and
mutilate in order to steal their unique screams, mimicking
their final vocalisations and improving their own fearful
timbre.
Once their cries echo out across the ruined streets,they
draw in more of their number, building a sizable force over
time. Shivers have come to know these awful gatherings as
‘Dirge Choirs’ because their combined cries build the most
nightmarish song imaginable and mark the onset of an
incoming assault.
Screamers have no finesse in their attacks; they flail and
thoughtlessly swipe at their victims with ragged talons and
crudely shaped scythes that sprout from their forearms. They
will also deliver devastating bites from multi-rowed fanged
mouths.
When there is an absence of victims to butcher, Screamers
will slide into a motionless inactive state, having no other
purpose for living beyond the pursuit of violence and death
cries.
Most Screamers are typically dispatched before they
advance into more developed, complex forms. If, however,
they are enthralled by a Master, their inarticulate forms may
Green Horror (Effigy) be shaped into a more efficient horror.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
4 4 2 2
1 6 0 +6
20 2 6
Skills
Climbing: 3 Detect: 3
Distort: 2 Rifle: 2
Torture: 4 Tracking: 3
Unarmed Combat: 4

Aeriform Body, Dream Armour (PV: 6, Resistance:
N/A), Enmity Blast, Rift Claws, Rift Teeth, Mind
Paralysis, Dream Interpreted SHV-01 Gauss Rifle.
SCREAMER
Screamers are the most common Effigies to be found in
Cannibal Sector 1. Their forms are not specifically based
on a gruesome location, but derive their appearance purely
21
Screamer (Effigy)
STR DEX KNOW CONC
3 2 2 2
0 6 0 +4
18 2 6
Skills
Acrobatics: 2 Athletics: 3
Climbing: 3 Detect: 3
Distort: 3 Stealth: 3
Survival: 2 Torture: 4
Unarmed Combat: 4

Aeriform Body, Dream Armour (PV:3, Resistance:
N/A), Rift Claws, Rift Teeth, The Scream.
DOWNTOWN EFFIGY
Downtown Civilians are convinced that the dead may
somehow come back to life and walk the subterranean streets
and their eyes are not deceiving them.
Horribly disfigured, corpse-like individuals do indeed Effigies are the most common form of Dream Entity in
inhabit rundown apartments and gloomy alleys but they are Downtown and this is simply because the sheer number
not in fact dead. of murdered victims piling up in the Districts on a hourly
These disturbing characters are Effigies - Dream Entities basis provide the most juicy and abundant Source Parents to
whom have taken on the form of murder victims and influence the Sacs.
invariably the targets of the most gruesome and brutal kills
to ever grace Mort City’s streets. Downtown Effigy (Effigy)
Effigies usually spawn from within crime scenes and STR DEX KNOW CONC
locations renowned for the horrors they once contained. A 4 4 2 2
concealed Dream Sac was accidentally privy to a murder
taking place (or at least the loose talk of the event that
occurred) and it was prompted to materialise in the form of 1 4 0 +7
the bloodied victim. Hit Points Closing Rushing
Effigies are almost always driven by revenge, believing they 10 2 5
are the victims of an horrendous act and will seek out anyone
or anything closely resembling the perpetrator they believe Skills
ended their lives. Detect: 2 Distort: 3
In many instances the enraged Effigy has only vague Stealth: 3 Survival: 2
recollections of the inciting event and simply targets anyone
Torture: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2
that crosses its path.
Effigies are greatly feared in Downtown as they are in the Equipment & Abilities
Cannibal Sectors since they habitually inflict the same act Aeriform Body, Disturbing Visage, Dream Armour
and injury upon their victims as they themselves received, (PV:8, Resistance: N/A), Rift Claws, Greater
thus perpetuating the endless cycle of murder. Reality Distortion 10, Time Distortion.
When an Effigy strikes, one simply has to gaze upon their
horrific injuries and fatal wounds for an inkling of what’s to
come.
22
DREAM ENTITIES
Titters revel in sadistic exploration as they advance

TITTER much faster than other Entity types. Their freakish visual
The Titter is a type of Dream Entity that assumes the form representations are heavily ingrained in the Downtown
of a horrific, distorted child. Its name is derived from the locals, so their own influence increases swiftly. Masters are
gleeful joy that the Entity takes in the torture and ultimately always eager to enthral Titters firstly because they make
murder of its victims. The Titter is steeped in immature, good fighters but also seek to eliminate potential threats to
childlike innocence contrasting its malignance; like an infant their power base.
idly pulling the wings off a fly and not fully acknowledging The strength and ferocity of a Titter belies their small
the cruelty of the act. stature and slight builds. A hungry Titter is more than a
Titters originate from Cannibal Sector 1 and their early match for an Operative, especially if they’ve been in existence
incarnations used their Dream abilities to change their for a long time. Depending on their visual motifs they can
veneer, presenting themselves as real living children. The deliver powerful bites and infect deadly injuries with their
child would appear injured or distressed, lost and vulnerable claws.
in the Sector and in desperate need of help. The unsuspecting It is widely believed that Titters may have evolved from
Operative or Shiver would be urged to help and lead the Distorters since they have some knowledge of Reality
infant to safety, but as soon as the target was within range Distortion and can reshape their environment into a
the Titter would cast off the disguise and attack their temporary illusory trap. As time progresses, however, most
unsuspecting victim. Titters lose this ability in favour of more visceral skills,
This was referred to as the Compassion Trap. leaning more towards the physical rather than psychological
In The Changes, Sector based Titters rarely use this snare attack.
anymore since stationed BridgeHead Shivers and DarkNight Despite physically appearing as children, Titters do not
Agents know the ruse; there are no ordinary looking children mature in the traditional sense and never reach adulthood.
just wandering the ruins, so now the Titters creep about They remain fairly consistent in their intended form, but
the hollowed out buildings and heaps of rubble, relying on grow stronger and smarter with the passage of time. Only
straightforward attacks and other fresh tricks. one Titter has been catalogued in the Naga 7 files as a
Titters are fiercely independent Entities and will always Master - Jenny DeepPockets, who has progressed beyond
flee at the mere sight of an approaching Master. They fear the infantile body mould into something more unique and
little, but they are deathly afraid of being enthralled by the disturbing.
Master’s Mark as their own individuality and creativity is Titter (Effigy)
sapped by this enslavement.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
4 5 4 4
3 6 0 +9
20 3 6
Skills
Intimidation: 4 Language (all): 3
Persuasion: 4 Seduction: 4
Stealth: 4 Torture: 4
Unarmed Combat: 4

Aeriform Body, Dream Armour (PV: 4,
Resistance:N/A), Rift Claws (Knife or shard of
broken glass), Greater Reality Distortion 10.
23
Creating Custom Entities

Dream Entities are 80% story and 20% stats. Before
considering how you might customise an Entity’s skills
and stats you should first determine; what it looks like,
how it hunts and the story from which it has based its
form.
Example: Tam Riddler. Tam, was a small boy that was
shot by an overzealous Shiver Patrol during a riot. Now,
the Dream Entity - Tam, likes to entice a lone Shiver
to investigate noises of violence, only to turn tables on
them and place them in the position of that small boy.
Tam pulls back his hood to reveal a head not dissimilar
to that of a Green Horror, he raises his arm to reveal a
Dream constructed Gauss Rifle and riddles the Shiver
with Enmity Blasts.
Once a story has been constructed, it’s simple enough
to add the necessary skills and equipment to whatever
Dream Entity best suits the concept. Add as many as you
need, but try not to overcomplicate the basic concept.
Three or four such changes should be adequate in most
instances. Usually it’s as simple as adding an ability
from another Entity. In Tam’s case we can take a Titter
and add a Dream Interpreted SHV-01 Gauss Rifle and
suitable Rifle skill.
Occasionally, this won’t be enough to achieve your goal
in creating this creature. It may be that you’ll need to
look further abroad. Perhaps one of the creatures in
Fauna has a power that will do the job.
If you need to augment the Entity any further you
should consider whether the chosen baseline is actually Cannibal Nightmares bear the familiar markings of the
what you want. It might be you want a more ferocious Rawhead Progeny (chalk white, narrow black eyes and
Effigy such as a Cryptid or maybe even a Master because excessively muscular builds) but are warped and twisted by a
just as you can add abilities you can also pare them back. bombardment of horrific and murderous imagery which has
ultimately moulded the Entity into its current form.
CANNIBAL NIGHTMARE The savage influence has extended into shaping the
Nightmare’s hands to great, tooth filled maws that snap and
tear at its screaming victims.
“Are you ready, little piglet? Are you ready to let the Father
of Gore reveal his plan unto you? Good, now to turn and Cannibal Nightmares are powerful allies to the Rawhead
bear witness to the sacred fruit spilled from his loins. Go deep Cult but their daily requirements and upkeep are what
within its jaws, taste the exquisite suffering, give yourself makes them notorious.
over and become part of the transformative cycle!” They are most commonly moulded by Human based
High Priestess Feroxia, Sect ‘Torn Source Parents and in theory at least identify as Human.
Sinew’, Rawhead Cult. Cannibalism is central to their existence and thus requires
them to partake of this means of consumption each and
These are Dream Entities dredged up by the growing fear every day. Since the Rawhead Cult operates carefully within
of Mort’s Cannibals and conjured into existence by the Downtown society, they can’t catch and slaughter suitable
ordeal rituals performed by the Rawhead cult. victims in great numbers or else they risk drawing too much
attention to their sect. Self sacrifice tends to be the primary
The Cannibal Nightmare is a threat more commonly
food source offered up to the Cannibal Nightmare and since
encountered in Cannibal Sector 1, but now that Cannibal
the Dream Entity is so revered most appointed worshippers
Harridans are infiltrating Mort City and devotees flock
give themselves up willingly.
to the growing Rawhead Cult, Cannibal Nightmares may
appear more frequently in Downtown Districts. Cannibal Nightmares have exceedingly voracious appetites
and they may quite literally eat the cult sect out of house and
24
DREAM ENTITIES
home. As a result, most Rawhead Sects are forced to limit Horrors, but these effigies are infused with dark worship and
the number of Cannibal Nightmares brought into the fold, consumed flesh.
being unable to meet the unsustainable demands of such The resulting Dream Entity has been classified by Threat
creatures. Analysis as a Cannibal Fleshbag - a horrid amalgamation of
Larger, more established Rawheads sects, especially those Human cadaver, flayed skin, dissected innards and ravening
based out of Lower Downtown, where increased hunting hunger. Relatively new, Fleshbags are mostly mindless
can take place undetected, are able to withstand numerous denizens, goaded on by their instinct to perform the act of
Cannibal Nightmares, usually held in check by a Rawhead cannibalism, which permeates every aspect of their being, to
Avatar or Harridan. the extent that if they cannot feast on living prey they will
Cannibal Nightmares provide the muscle and defence of turn to feeding on their own insides.
a Rawhead Sect and they can sense the presence of other Fleshbags perform similar functions as the Cannibal
Dream Entities in the vicinity and thus serve as excellent Nightmares, but they are far more rudimentary in their
sentries and sniffer dogs. composition, lacking the raw physical power of a Nightmare
and thus more expendable fodder for a Master or Rawhead
Cannibal Nightmare (Effigy) Cult.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 2 0 1
CHA COOL SCENT Initiative
0 3 3 +5
35 2 6
Skills
Intimidate: 3 Melee Weapons: 3
Throw: 3 Torture: 3
Unarmed Combat: 3

Aeriform Body, Cannibalistic Regeneration, Dream
Armour (PV: 6, Resistance:N/A), Rift Teeth/Claws.
Sense Dream Entity: Cannibal Nightmares can track

Dream Entities much like an Aether Tracker.
CANNIBAL FLESHBAG
“We are blessed. We are his chosen ones. The Father of Gore
has sent forth his instruments to consume our enemies and
strengthen our faith. Draw in the scent of their flayed skin
and weeping wounds! Rejoice and let the feasting begin!”
High Priestess Feroxia, Sect ‘Torn
Sinew’, Rawhead Cult.
If a Rawhead Displaced Avatar is left unchecked it will

invariably transcend into a Master category and true to
all Masters it will attempt to nurture and groom its own
personal minions.
The newly evolved Master will begin to surround the
cult’s lair with Dream Sacs and let the ghastly deeds and
cannibalism taking place within the location influence
the growing eggs. The hatched Helions will eventually
mould into Effigies in a similar vein to the Sector’s Green
25
Brought into being as a Dream Entity, the Fleshbag does into following them. There are many, many powerful Dream
not suffer the natural consequences of eating oneself so Entities creeping around Mort City and Sector 1, but what
however horrific the action may appear, the act itself does not makes the Masters unique is that complete understanding of
harm the Effigy and within a day the exposed and hanging what they are and the broken metaphysics that brought them
guts will have grown back within the abdomen. into existence.
In this early stage of the Effigy’s development the creature Like the Red King, they wield the fundamental error like a
cannot identify its own source and only thinks to consume weapon and to deadly effect.”
Human flesh, though it will attack pretty much any external Aethernaut Grugar, Naga 7 Division, 6th Head.
threat to the cult.
Since the Cannibal Fleshbag is such a new addition to
the list of established Dream Entity variants neither the
ENEMY ENTITIES
Aethernauts nor Threat Analysis yet know in what manner Threat Analysis has found itself forced to devise an
the Fleshbag will advance, whether the creature type additional term for all the new Dream Entities materialising
will grow more savage and animalistic, or become more in the Cannibal Sectors, dredged up by upheaval caused by
sophisticated and in turn, useful to the Rawheadian Master. the Bellwood Campaign and the continued interest in the
Only dark times ahead may tell. stranger inhabitants of Sector 1’s neighbouring regions.
This new sub category of horrors are known as the Enemy
Cannibal Fleshbag (Effigy) Entities.
STR DEX KNOW CONC The Dream Entities spawned in Cannibal Sector 3 are
5 4 1 1 some of the most vicious on planet Mort. They have been
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative brought into existence by the crazed and delusional mindsets
of the Ex-War Criminals based there.
0 6 0 +6
The Dream Entities of Newtown are shaped into the
Hit Points Closing Rushing common enemies of SLA Industries albeit warped and
25 2 6 freakish depictions of their adversaries. The creatures
themselves are not on the side of their Source Parent and
Skills have virtually no comprehension of what motivates such
Athletics: 3 Climbing: 2 corporate threats; all that drives them is an inexplicable
Detect: 2 Stealth: 2 need to attack SLA, whether that be Operatives, Ex-War
Criminals or EWC Fanatics.
Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 4
The battle for Cannibal Sector 1 thunders on and generates
Equipment & Abilities its own Enemy Entities, building on the fear and hatred
Cannibalistic Regeneration, Disturbing Visage, connected with SLA Industries primary rivals, creating new
Dream Armour (PV: 6, Resistance: N/A), corrupted interpretations of age-old foes.
Regeneration Rate: 3, Vicious Rift Teeth/Claws 3.
“Threat Analysis still trying to establish a term for these
new CS3 ones, but we’ve been told to go with ‘Enemy
CONSOLIDATION PHASE Entities’ - fine, whatever the fuck.
Look, I know all Dream Entities can be pretty aggressive,
Left unchecked the Dream Entity in full bloom may
but these things are on a whole ‘nother level. I mean, they’re
transform into something much more defined and deadly.
fucking crazy. See those Chiselheads? Sure, they look a bit
They have already begun to build a reputation and folklore
like DarkNight Gunners, a bit. But that doesn’t mean they
all of their own, with the population living within its Area
want anything to do with actual DN Squads out here in the
of Influence, defining its form, even if that goes against the
Sectors, in fact, they’ll kill and eat any rival envoys who try
will of the Entity.
to approach them.
Unfettered Dream Entities at this phase may consolidate
They’d got their own set of rules that’s as unique as how
everything they have ever been previously and settle on
these things come into being. But SLA’s gotta deal with them
the creature to be. This is most often a feral Cryptid, these
soon or they’re just gonna get stronger and more developed.
especially advanced Dream Entities ascend to a dangerous
and powerful plateau, becoming Masters, with the power to It’s only a matter of time before we start seeing Entity Ex-
enthral lesser Entities and govern their every action. War Criminals and nobody wants that.”
Shiver Sgt. Bresslaw, BridgeHead Resistance.
“It is self awareness that shapes the Dream Entity Master
and it’s what gives them the power to charm other Entities
26
DREAM ENTITIES
As the Thresher Entity gains power it takes on new

THRESHER ‘THORNCREST’ transformations, such as the appearance of a circle of thorns
Thresher armoured detachments are usually deployed outcropping on its head, similar to that found on Carrien
on the westerly fringes of the No-Go Zone, which then Alphas - earning it the title ‘ThornCrest.’
venture up towards the endless battles being played out on ThornCrests are an ever evolving Enemy Entity type and
the Southern Front. The Shivers stationed in these trenches their full potential is not yet realised. At present, no Masters
fear the threat of deadly assault from these heavily equipped have appeared as yet in this sub category and their control
company rival agents. over the Claves and Tribes they invade are governed over by
Dream Entities influenced by Thresher produce some of brute force rather than Dream Entity enthrallment.
the deadliest monsters in the Cannibal Sectors, drawing
inspiration from Close Nitt and Sarge Armour models “ThornCrests are a real curiosity. They advance quickly
and unleashing 10 foot tall Cryptids into the unsuspecting but almost as soon as they hit their Consolidation phase they
battleground. jettison any connection they had to their Source Parent. They
become very much their own thing and I’d argue they’re
Thresher Entities have little understanding of their Source
closer to Derro Kings than Dream Entity Masters in terms
Parent and no comprehension of the technology that brought
of development.
them into being. The Enemy Entity is steeped in hunger and
warmongering and when it journeys into the Sector, it is It takes a while but the moment they start getting the
looking to fulfil its twisted need for conquest. thorns on their heads it’s anyone’s guess what they’ll do and
become next.”
Many Thresher Entities specifically target Carrien Claves,
immediately challenging the ruling Greater Carrien and Aethernaut Cole, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
killing it with Dread Claws and repeated Enmity Blasts.
At first, it will feed on its fallen opponent and absorb Thresher ‘ThornCrest’
the Carrien’s language and mindset. The Thresher Entity STR DEX KNOW CONC
then ascends the makeshift concrete and rebar throne and
presides over the Carrien horde. 6 4 3 4
This Dream Entity/Carrien hybrid army then proceeds to CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
go on the rampage throughout the region, massacring and 0 5 0 +8
devouring any opposition in its path. Gradually, the Carrien Hit Points Closing Rushing
die out from the Thresher’s escalating ambitions as it drives
them to challenge ever greater foes and adversaries. 25 2 5
These Carrien are then replaced with Dream Entities Skills
more common to the Sector and the numbers swell with Demolitions: 1 Detect: 3
frightening rapidity.
Distort: 3 Drive (Pilot): 4
Melee Weapons: 3 Pistol: 3
Rifle: 4 Stealth: 2
Throw: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3

Dream Armour (PV: 16, Resistance: N/A),
Enmity Blast, Vicious Rift Claws 2, Vicious Rift
Teeth 3, Dream Interpreted VAPH III 0600/
C12 Assault Cannon & Hand Grenades.
DOGEYBONE ‘SNAPPER’
Dogeybone Entities (also known as Snappers) originate
from the region of Cannibal Sector 1 called Green Hell. The
waste ground is infested with Green Horrors; Effigy class
Dream Entities based on the countless Shivers who died in
Project Red Sky.
27
Dogeybone ‘Snapper’
STR DEX KNOW CONC
7 3 0 2
0 3 0 +5
25 2 8
Skills
Athletics: 2 Detect: 1
Distort: 2 Melee Weapons: 2
Unarmed Combat: 2

Dream Armour (PV: 12, Resistance: N/A), Enmity
Blast, Rift Claws, Vicious Rift Teeth 4.
DARKNIGHT ‘CHISELHEAD’
Essentially, Dogeybone Entities are a subset of Green
Horror but have assumed the depiction of SLA produced Just as dead Shivers from the Red Sky Project spawn a horde
heavy armour. of Green Horrors, the zealous DarkNight agents operating
Snappers do not comprehend their Source Parent and out of the Sector have deeply influenced neighbouring
spend their days stalking the ruins looking for prey to kill Effigies.
and eat. It’s common for wearers of this armour type to paint BridgeHead Shivers coined the nickname - Chiselheads,
grinning, fang filled mouths across the face plate and just so as not to confuse them with actual DarkNight Gunners
like the Thresher variant of Enemy Entity, this imagery has in their reports back to SLA Industries. The name is derived
transmuted into actual teeth and jaws. from the pronounced wedgelike shape of their faces, a
Owing to these great elongated maw and massive fangs, twisted depiction of the Gunner helmet.
the Dogeybone Entities have one of the meanest bites in the Despite all the warped trappings of DarkNight equipment,
Cannibal Sectors, hence the gruesome nickname - Snapper. they do not align with their Source Parent. In fact,
Snappers have absorbed the snarling, aggressive personas Chiselheads are more likely to go after genuine DarkNight
of the customised armour, so they make for exceedingly squads in the Cannibal Sectors as they consider them frauds
voracious predators. This insatiable hunger lowers their and traitors, unbefitting of the Dream interpretation of the
overall intellect however and any chance of elevating to rival company.
higher levels is highly unlikely. There are no reported Chiselheads are considered highly dangerous because they
instances of Snappers developing into Masters. view everything they encounter in the Sectors as a high
Most Snappers appear content to simply wander the level threat and they will engage their perceived enemy with
Sectors, gorging themselves on random, shrieking flesh. extreme malice and hatred.
Most are solitary creatures, but they will sometimes fall
“When night falls over the NorthWest Compact you hear a
in among roaming Green Horror Squads (possibly due to
lot of horrible sounds - Carrien howls, Cannibal chanting -
residual memory left over from Project Red Sky) and offer
it goes on all night and I guess it’s just something you have to
heavy support in their activities.
learn to tolerate in the BridgeHeads.
Since they are rather dimwitted Entities, Snappers are
The sound that terrifies me most is the disturbed rantings of
quite easily enthralled by Sector based Masters, especially
Chiselheads. What they scream and roar isn’t exactly words,
those with a more militaristic themed direction.
but sorta smudges of a language. It’s all that pent up fury for
In recent months, there have been reported sightings a foe they cannot pinpoint or comprehend.
of Snappers bearing the colouration of the 9th Division,
They remind me of Hominids; they have that sincere hatred
leading to speculation that there may be a new strain of
in their growls.”
Green Horror operating in distant territories of CS1.
Shiver Pvt. Brenn Carlson, BridgeHead Dauntless.
28
DREAM ENTITIES
The Shiver Patrol who stumbled upon this obscure brood of

Entities were suddenly attacked with surprising viciousness.
The typical armament for a Vito drone had been replaced
with an Enmity Blast emitter buried inside the Entity’s back.
The Entities managed to kill 3 Shiver Troopers before they
managed to fall back and call in the Operatives to eliminate
the threat.
The Operatives made short work of the Dream Entity Vitos
but by now there were more cropping up all over Downtown,
even as far flung as the NorthWest compact.
Naga 7 Division believes the Source Parent is either a
range of plastic toys based on the Vito (which can fire a
squirt of harmless purple goo) or the toy’s own commercial
catchy theme and presentation which has run continually on
television and radio for more than a year.
So as to avoid confusion the new Enemy Entity is referred
to as ‘Varmint’ and while it is fortunate that only a Dream
interpreted Vito exists at present, it is only a matter of
time before other Tek Trex drone variants receive the same
obsessive treatment.
DarkNight ‘Chiselhead’
Tek Trex ‘Varmint’
STR DEX KNOW CONC
3 3 3 3 STR DEX Initiative
2 2 +2
1 4 0 +6 Hit Points Closing Rushing
12 1 3
17 2 5 Skills
Skills
Pistol: 2 Stealth: 3
Rifle: 3 Stealth: 3 Equipment
Torture: 3 Unarmed Combat: 2 Dream Armour (PV: 3, Resistance: N/A), Enmity Blast

Dream Armour (PV 6, Resistance N/A), Rift
Knife, Dream Interpreted DN79 Ack-Ack.
TEK TREX ‘VARMINT’

Vitos are some of the strangest creatures to have been
reinterpreted by the Dream Entities. At first they were
mistaken for Helions, owing to their small stature but
gradually all the familiar traits of a Tek Trex drone became
visible.
The initial sightings were reported in Inner Downtown,
District 3 within a recently foreclosed toy store. It was a
cluster of 10 Vito like creatures, emitting strange screeching,
chirping sounds. On closer inspection it was clear they were
Dream Entities; the Vito armour casing had a more organic
bent and the single ocular lens in the centre of the torso was
an actual living eye.
29
“ Yeah, I was one of the daft buggers on that Shiver The bigger and more formidable the Cryptid, the greater
Patrol that first encountered the Varmints. You know that its need for sustenance. In order to maintain its fearful status
weird chirping those Entities made that everyone’s talking and form, a large Cryptid will kill and feed at least once a day
about? Well, it was clearly them trying to sing the annoying within its Area of Influence. The more damage it inflicts on
earworm tune from the advert. They’re humming it all the a community, the more prominent its legend and in turn, the
way down in the BridgeHeads, I hear. more powerful it becomes.
I should know because my wee laddie is always whistling Aethernauts of the 6th Head are always on the search for
that tune too. Always watching the advert on the telly and Cryptids and research ways to nullify them, since they pose
now he wants one of these bloody things for his Ex Mass. such a high level threat to Mort society. Aside from their
If he doesn’t stop with that stupid whistling I’ll be putting ferocity, Cryptids may evolve into what Aethernauts refer
a real Varmint in his bedroom instead of that plastic toy! See to as Rooks.
if that shuts him up!” Rook Cryptids leave an indelible mark on an Area of
Pvt. Wilbur Shaneson, Shiver Patrol Influence and their legend is so ingrained in the public
District 3, Sectors 18-22. consciousness that they will remanifest in the location over
and over, no matter how many times their physical form is
seemingly destroyed.
CRYPTID Only Anchored Cryptids are capable of transforming into
As Dream Entities advance in their development they will Rooks, although an argument is put forth that perhaps the
gradually come under the strong influence of one or more Rook is a cycle of Dream Entities assuming the form of the
Source Parents connected to urban folklore or the dark Cryptid, rather a singular recurring Entity.
history of a particular location. Research into this phenomenon is difficult as the mind of
In this Consolidation Phase the Dream Entity has learned a Cryptid is alien in the extreme and making any form of
valuable abilities and adapted to the Downtown environment, social communication with this strain of Dream Entity has
so when the Source Parent inspires the Entity in a powerful proven fruitless and extremely dangerous.
way the result is what Naga 7 Division classifies as a Cryptid. Anchored Cryptids are intensely territorial Dream Entities
The Cryptid syphons all the important details of what the and they will not tolerate any Bloom or Consolidated Phased
neighbourhood fears and dreads. The Source Parent may Entities in their Area of Influence because it challenges their
have been a notorious Serial Killer from decades earlier legend and destabilises the hold they have over the local
who plagued the region, or a yarn spun by drunken Shivers populace.
regarding a Lennox Grey Rat that walked on two legs and
was as big as a car. Cryptid (Effigy)
Some Cryptids are so disturbed and outlandish in their STR DEX KNOW CONC
visage it is near impossible to assess how they came into 6 7 5 6
being. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Aethernauts assume these freakish Cryptids are wild 4 8 2 +11
combinations of numerous opposing Source Parents, melded
into one singular monstrous Entity. Hit Points Closing Rushing
Surprisingly, Cryptids are now considered a greater threat 25 2 6
in Downtown than they are in the Cannibal Sectors. In
Skills
Mort City there is a deluge of media, hearsay and folklore
going back centuries. Civilians in the Downtown Districts Detect: 4 Distort: 4
are far more superstitious and suspicious - of every creaking Seduction: 2 Stealth: 3
door, dark shadow, horror story and disturbing rumour in Survival: 4 Torture: 4
the vicinity.
Downtown in particular is a breeding ground for fertile
stories and scary legends and the wandering Dream Entity Equipment & Abilities
never has to travel far to track a substantial Source Parent Aeriform Body, Rift Teeth, Shadow Claws, Shadow
and generate their own Area of Influence. Merge, Dream Armour (PV:12, Resistance: N/A).
Cryptids tend to fall into two camps: Anchored Cryptids
- those that lay down roots in their Area of Influence and Note: Cryptids are highly variable and should be
never leave its boundaries and Feral Cryptids - those who customised (See creating custom entities on page 24).
are constantly on the move, feeding on anything that crosses
their path.
30
DREAM ENTITIES
Cryptids must remain ‘true to form’ and carry on the away flesh getting flushed away down the toilet bowl, in
tradition of their own personal legend. If the community the vain hope that the problem can disappear at the tug
dreads the spider-headed man that feasts on Human of a handle.
brains they must maintain this pattern on a daily basis and This rather dubious solution to body disposal happens all
continually cement the folklore by killing in this highly over Downtown each and every day, but the accumulation
distinctive manner. of mingling flesh and noxious odours created a powerful
It is difficult for Dream Entity Masters to Enthral Cryptids, Cryptid of considerable size and ferocity.
especially if they are Rooks, or Anchored to an Area of August Clott is the result of all this morbid accumulation.
Influence for a long time. Far more likely, the Cryptid simply An 11 foot tall hulking mass of decay and broken sewer
elects to join forces with the Master, for a time. pipes. He has been brought into existence based on
countless murdered and ultimately discarded victims.
August Clott: Living in the squalid confines of
Aethernaut Farthingale, operating out of District 3,
Downtown can be a misery at the best of times. There
Sector 40 has studied August Clott for some time and
are countless troubles in a Civilian’s life but one particular
has put forth his own findings.
problem is living with the stench of their apartment block.
It is a heady mix of mildew, ripening garbage, the acrid “Report to Catalogue,
droppings of Arrowhead cockroaches. Yet a singular smell
After decades conducting research into the Dream Entities
will rise up above all others; the scent of rotting flesh. This
phenomenon, I can safely say that the being known as
often appears in tandem with blocked pipes and brackish
August Clott is the largest and most deadly Cryptid I have
drinking water. It is not so much what is clogging up the
come across.
drainage but who.
I surmise that his Source Parents were innumerable murder
Carrien, Hominids and the Rawhead Cult will happily
victims and the horrendous stench blocking the sewer pipe
devour the remains of their victims, but Serial Killers in
network running throughout the sector. A Dream Sac was
most instances find themselves sated by the simple act
almost certainly attached to an especially compacted section
of murder and then have to deal with the troublesome
of drainage and the Helion was influenced from there.
carcasses of their prey. This typically results in stripped
31
Early in August’s existence he may have spent a period of

time in Effigy form, I suspect a terrifying representation of
RAINFOLK
the worst victim to have been secreted away in the pipes and
then gradually advanced into a more complex Cryptid class “Before you say anything; I know. Downtown is the very
Entity. definition of crazy. One in two Downtown Civilians is a
walking mental disorder and anything below District 8 it’s
August Clott is not a Dream Entity that can simply be left a one to one ratio for insanity, but there’s something beyond
undisturbed. His kill count is well into the hundreds and I that. Something much worse.
have grave doubts that a lone AetherTracker would be able
to quell such a monstrous Cryptid. The Aethernauts simply call ‘em ‘The Rainfolk’. Now what
Rainfolk are I’m not entirely sure, but the Naga boys say
I encourage SLA Industries to deploy an experienced, well they’re some very rare type of Dream Entity.
equipped Operative Squad to destroy August Clott at the
first opportunity. They look just like us, but they’re not like us at all. They say
crazy things, they do crazy things.
Please find my complete documentation on the Cryptid
attached, with recommendations on how best to confront Okay, okay, I know - I’m just describing Mort City but
August Clott.” like I said, these characters defy all … logic? When you’re in
their presence, the air turns thick, external sound just drops
Aethernaut Farthingale, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division. to complete silence. There’s this sweet smell nobody can nail
down and there’s the thing which gives them their name.
August Clott Cryptid (Effigy) They always look like they just walked in out of the rain.
STR DEX KNOW CONC Now that might not mean much out here on the Sector Wall,
or on the Downtown Crust but the Rainfolk look that way
6 4 3 3
in a bone dry level of Inner Downtown. They exude rain…
Their strangeness isn’t the most frightening thing about
4 8 4 +7 the Rainfolk. They’re bad omens, drawn in by Grey Zones
Hit Points Closing Rushing and worse. If you encounter one of the Rainfolk it means the
Shi’An are nearby.
40 2 6
Look, I know I ain’t selling it well and you’re laughing now
Skills but trust me, you do not want a run in with those creepy
Athletics: 4 Detect: 4 bastards.”
Distort: 4 Polearm: 4 Shiver Sgt. ‘Rambling’ Robbins,
Breacher, Squad ‘Rush Wall’.
Torture: 4 Tracking: 3 The Rainfolk defy the established Bio Classification of the
Unarmed Combat: 4 Dream Entity Species. They are a rare strain of Entity that
remains the greatest mystery to Naga 7 Division and SLA
Equipment & Abilities Industries.
Aeriform Body, Clott’s Axe, Disturbing Visage, Dread At a distance there is little to differentiate the Rainfolk
Stench, Dream Armour (PV:16, Resistance: N/A), from normal Downtown citizens, but as soon as one is in
Enmity Blast, Megafauna, Rift Teeth, Shadow Merge. close proximity to them witnesses describe an overwhelming
feeling of discomfort and unease.
Clott’s Axe In terms of dress and behaviour the Rainfolk exemplify
Skill: Polearm ‘otherness’; they may appear with coats turned inside out,
or missing a shoe. They will recite odd phrases, perform
DMG Min DMG AD Weight
repetitive and exaggerated physical movements. The exact
2d10+2 11 6 3 reasoning for these unsettling mannerisms and verbal
Should Clott roll a 1 on an attack roll the Axe outbursts remains unknown.
will miss his target and be embedded in whatever Rainfolk always appear soaked through to the skin, which
was behind them, Clott will be able to free it’s has earned them their name. They have characteristically
axe with a Difficulty 10 Strength Roll and will grey, dead eyes, which do not appear to blink.
not pursue a target until it has done so.
Aside from the unnerving persona they present, Rainfolk
come with a host of hazards attached. The disturbing
performance of Rainfolk and the reaction it has around
living people creates and draws in other Dream Entities who
32
DREAM ENTITIES
act on behalf of the Rainfolk, they’re otherworldliness is

genuine.
Rainfolk are not physically aggressive by nature, most seem
to wish to convey some message and physical display but
that intent is too alien for the spectator to understand. The
end result is distress rather than enlightenment.
The strongest attraction for Rainfolk is Shi’An activity,
as they are drawn in by kinetic energy set loose by blood
summoning, Ethereal magic and the horrendous deaths
experienced at the hands of their cultists.
Rainfolk tend to be loners and almost never become a
collective, with most responding aggressively to others
of their kind who have inadvertently encroached in their
territory.
RAWHEAD AVATAR (DISPLACED)

This obscure strain of Dream Entity is mercifully rare
and is brought into being by the Rawhead Cult’s feverish
worship of their Cannibal Sector Deity.
Aethernauts have recognised and catalogued two forms of
the Rawhead Avatar and one is considerably more dangerous
than the other. The True Avatar is an Entity formed directly
within the cult’s lair, the other is known as a Displaced
Avatar.
The Displaced Avatar is more of an accidental creation,
conjured into being by incessant chants and howling cries,
taste that fear and anxiety the way sharks pick up distress shaped from an unwittingly and unaffiliated Dream Entity.
from miles away via sonar.
Displaced Avatars are not always loyal to the cult’s aims
Rain Folk and the Dream Entity sees the cultists as prey just the same
as anyone else. In most cases, the Displaced Avatar’s arrival
STR DEX KNOW CONC proves to be more of a shock than a Blessing to onlookers.
2 2 3 3 Rawhead Avatars, both True and Displaced vary quite
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative widely in appearance only connected by few established
3 3 3 +5 visual traits. The head of the being is pale and somewhat
bloated, with narrow black eyes and extended fang filled
Hit Points Closing Rushing jaws that seep copious amounts of blood. Some Rawhead
20 2 6 depictions are large and muscular forms, whilst others are
emaciated or morbidly obese. This is tied to the conflict
Skills among Cannibal Clans and Cult sects in how to interpret
Detect: 4 Stealth: 1 their deity’s spirit and principles.
Torture: 1 Tracking: 4 The consumption of flesh features heavily in Rawhead lore
Unarmed Combat: 2 but some believe him to be ever hungry, the more he eats the
hungrier he becomes, hence the skeletal form. Others deem
Equipment & Abilities gluttony a virtue and see Rawhead being as corpulent and
Aeriform Body, Dream Armour (PV:4, all consuming.
Resistance: N/A). Rift Claws. True Avatars tend to be more settled on Rawhead as a strong,
heavily built being somewhat resembling the physique of a
Rainfolk themselves are lured into specific locations by 714 Chagrin Stormer, those are usually relegated to the ruins
atrocities and extreme violence. They do not specifically seek of Cannibal Sectors where his worship is regarded as ‘pure’.
out the source of such horror but merely circumnavigate the
region, creating alarm and unease in everyone they approach Displaced Avatars are sized between 10-15 ft in height and
or accost. This does not appear to be a conscious effort or can pose a considerable threat to even a well equipped and
experienced SLA Op Squad. Avatars must be eliminated as
33
swiftly as possible as with each passing day the Rawhead Rawhead Avatar (Displaced)
Entity fortifies its identity and form and may ascend to a
Master category being, who has the ability to enthral other STR DEX KNOW CONC
lesser Entities and create his own lore driven Effigies - 7 5 1 2
Cannibal Fleshbags. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
“We were assigned a nice, easy Red Alert to a civilian 0 6 0 +6
disturbance in District 2, Sector 12. We were expecting Hit Points Closing Rushing
maybe some light gang activity, some goofballs with CAF 40 2 5
weapons. Quick mission and simple beer money for the
Pit that evening. When we arrive it’s not a gang, but the Skills
Rawhead Cult. There’s fifteen of these loon bags, all armed Detect: 2 Intimidate: 3
with DN weaponry and you better believe they were ready
Language (Biya): 1 Melee Weapons: 1
for a dust up with us SLA Ops.
For 4 minutes it was a complete bloodbath; they never
backed down, but we could handle it. Snapjaw, our Stormer Unarmed Combat: 2
was having a great time and then this … thing smashed
through the wall.
Cannibalistic Regeneration, Dream Interpreted
At first I thought it was a real big Night Stalker, but this
Scrap Armour(PV 12, Resistance N/A),
beast was drenched in blood, literally head to foot. Snapjaw
Dream Interpreted Grappler, Regeneration
blasted it with the Reaper, but it barely slowed it down. It
5, Vicious Rift Teeth and Claws 5.
went straight for the Ebon, swept her up and just bit her
head off. We did everything thing to save Glisten but we just Note: The Rawhead Avatar can choose to take a -3
couldn’t put down the fucking thing fast enough. penalty and roll just 1 Skill Dice on its Unarmed Combat
I helped out Snapjaw with Blitzer rounds and it finally Attack. If it does so and rolls an Excellent Success, it can
dropped and dissolved into a big inky puddle. immediately use its Cannibal Regeneration ability.
They told me later that it was a Displaced Rawhead
Avatar, but not to worry; it wasn’t one of the ‘proper ones’.
Fuck me, how bad are the real ones?”
Albert ‘Hate Machine’ Jones, Human Operative,
SCL 7c., Squad: ‘Nope, Not Today’.
34
DREAM ENTITIES
torture and inevitable death of their victims. These bouts

PARIAH of enslavement can last anywhere between a few hours and
This is a larger, more developed version of the Shadow a number of months. Once tired of its captive the Pariah
Dream Entity. It retains certain traits of the Shadow, but will either suffocate or strangle them with its black tendrils,
converts its signature smoke into an oily tar-like substance. before disappearing back into its native gloom.
Pariahs are considered quite dangerous as they are believed
“Mike Threlfall went and got us yet another BPN out of
to have materialised near Shi’An domains and covens, given
those bloody terminals and this time we got a mission out of
form by the screams of the tortured and murdered victims.
District 6 - a White.
Aethernauts have come to this summation since Pariahs
bear some visual features common to Ethereals in their Well, it was the muckiest White I’ve ever gotten. A whole
apparitional forms - milk and oil, suggesting developing Civilian Block disappeared; go check it out.
Shadows have witnessed their White Earth counterparts in It wasn’t much of a mystery when we got down there. Blood
sections of Lower Downtown. Pariahs are rarely encountered everywhere and the obligatory Shi’An iconography all over
in Inner Downtown, preferring to stick to the walls and the place. That’s the thing with the Cult, most of the time it’s
pipes of Lower Downtown with its gloomy surroundings a linear path; simply follow the blood trail.
and relative seclusion. They also have an innate need to be And of course, we did. Right into the sewer line. That’s
near to the horrors of the Shi’An, feeding on the bloodless where we found the 35 corpses.
carrion discarded by its worshippers.
The Shi’An were long gone, that was the good news. The
These Dream Entities earn the name ‘Pariah” because bad news? A massive Pariah just hanging around, taking
they are too closely associated with the Shi’an Cult and by its time to lick the blood stains off the bodies.
extension, the denizens summoned via their White Earth
Horrible. It was panting. Y’know, like it was really
portals. Other Dream Entities are confused by the scent
enjoying it? I’ve never seen a Dream Entity ‘get off ’ before.
and aura of Pariahs and shun them as a potential threat. The
But it’s clear that this Pariah was doing just that.
Shi’An also have little interest in the Pariahs, who are less
well defined than the White Earth Ethereals, so they exist Well, they live up to their name, don’t they?”
somewhere between both camps. Tarv Jansson, Human Operative, SCL
Pariahs develop an extremely sadistic streak over time 7a, Squad: ‘Rumble Fishies’.
and as long as they are not disturbed they will prolong the
35
Pariah We know the Masters are striving towards this same

ecological status and it will be a downright disaster if we sit
STR DEX KNOW CONC back and let them reach it.”
5 5 2 3 Aethernaut Seriese, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
CHA COOL FLOW Initiative
The Dream Entity may spend months or even years stalking
0 5 0 +8
Downtown and the Cannibal Sectors, indulging itself in all
Hit Points Closing Rushing manner of depravities. It will sample all forms of life as long
40 4 8 as there is enough screaming sentience to whet its appetite
and plant ideas in its head.
Skills
Within this endless cruelty, the advancement of certain
Athletics: 4 Climbing: 3 Entities elevates them from the herd. The simple act of
Detect: 3 Intimidation: 4 torturing a Human or Carrien over extended periods grows
Stealth: 3 Torture: 4 tiresome and the more inquisitive monster seeks a deeper
understanding of what made the captive creature and why
Tracking: 4 Unarmed Combat: 4 on a personal level it cries out in horror and pain.
Equipment & Abilities Most Dream Entities are quite content to exist within
Aeriform Body, Dream Armour (PV 10, Resistance their own private comfort zones, with their field of interest
N/A) Enmity Blast, Memetic Vector, Shadow narrowing down to a simple yet bleak focus. They zero in
Claws, Shadow Merge, Vicious Rift Teeth 3. on the thing they enjoy and the dread which their actions
invoke on the world around them. Their gradual legend
Note: Pariahs with a FLOW of 1 and more do exist and shapes them into a suitable form and the Entity carries on
these rarities can use the cast off Shi’An weapons without repeating the same vicious deed over and over.
issue. Similarly some Pariahs manifest Dream Interpreted These are the Dream Entities that the Aethernauts prefer;
Shi’An weapons which work as per the normal rules of they have a set pattern of predictable behaviour and the staff
Dream Interpreted Equipment. They are as capable at Naga 7 Division catalogue findings and intervene where
of typing nimbly on a keypad as they are rending flesh necessary.
with their talons and their willingness to use discarded
There are, however, extraordinary Dream Entities,
equipment often comes as a surprise.
mercifully few, who look beyond the rigid pattern and want
more. Much more.
DREAM ENTITY MASTER
Naga 7 Division categories these remarkable Entities as
“We have to accept that the Masters are now in the Masters.
Downtown Districts and they’re going to be a lot more A Dream Entity Master does not simply wish to destroy;
advanced than the ones we’ve encountered in Sector 1, since it seeks to create and to lead. What separates a Master from
they have a wider range of influences to draw upon. other such powerful Entities is that it can recognise and
I’ve had just one encounter with a Master in Downtown acknowledge its otherness.
so far, but it’d already begun to mark and enthral some The Master knows at its core that it has been composed
lesser Entities: a few Titters, an Effigy run through with a from imaginative whispers and horrible nightmares, wanting
selection of knives and a number of Shadows with a Carrien to explore its own potential and how to abuse such a loose
skull motif instead of the typical Human version. Very definition within reality.
strange. As the Master builds in strength and power it develops a
The Master saw right through my Darkly Mask and the long extended claw that radiates a blue glow. With this talon
Shadows gave chase but I was able to escape and report to it can touch the forehead of a weaker Dream Entity and
Catalogue. enslave it. The enthralled Entities of a Master are instantly
There’s still so much we have to learn about Dream recognisable by this burning mark on the forehead.
Entities, I feel like we’re only just scratching the surface, even Through this cruel process the Master builds what is
now. That said, we must destroy the Masters wherever we known as a Dream Army. These Entity collectives can grow
find them; it’s perhaps the one thing we can agree with the to formidable numbers in the Cannibal Sectors and they
AetherTrackers on. pose a deadly threat to anything that they happen upon.
We didn’t act fast enough with the Derros, or the Night Unlike other factions existing in Cannibal Sector 1 the
Stalkers and now both species are Integrated. motive of Dream Army is uncertain, with each collective
following upon the whims and perverse desires of their
individual Master.
36
DREAM ENTITIES
Masters are intensely driven, going to extreme lengths Skills

to further their ends: killing en masse in their research, or
spending an inordinate amount of time tormenting a single Detect: 4 Distort: 4
captive. Intimidation: 4 Language (all): 4
All this horrendous labour is evident in the visage of a Leadership: 4 Melee Weapons: 4
Master, with forms and anatomy that are considerably more Persuasion: 4 Stealth: 4
disturbed and outlandish by comparison to less advanced
Survival: 4 Tactics: 4
Dream Entities. Masters transform into large, imposing
beings, towering over their enthralled slaves and most Torture: 4 Tracking: 3
frightening of all, the Master has full control over the form Unarmed Combat: 4
it chooses.
The Dream Entity Master is strong and resilient, regardless
of its appearance, which is often depicted as crooked and Aeriform Body, Dominate, Dream Armour (PV:14,
with emaciated limbs. Resistance: N/A), Dream Blade, Fear Staff, Rift
It will defend itself with a full array of Dream abilities and Claws, Vicious Rift Teeth 2, Memetic Vector,
is often armed with a Dream Blade or Fear Staff. Mind Control, Mind Paralysis, Reality Distortion
(Greater) 30, Regeneration 5, Shadow Claws,
It is never alone and if Operatives choose to battle the Shadow Merge, Time Distortion (Moderate).
Master they will have to contend with its numerous guards
before engaging with the deadliest known incarnation of a Note: All Dream Entity Masters are specific creatures so
Dream Entity... the above should be a baseline and nothing more.
Dream Entity Master

STR DEX KNOW CONC
7 7 7 8
3 10 0 +15
60 3 8
37
head soon, the Derros and Night Stalkers are going to be a

INTEGRATION PHASE serious problem.
Only a handful of Dream Entity types have reached the I know several Ops who’ve laughed at my claims. ‘They’re
Integration Phase. just Carrien with a different paint job’ they say, but here’s
Integrated is a term used for Dream Entities who have fully the problem with that. Carrien are what they are and over
integrated into their surrounding reality and become living, the last five or six centuries or so they haven’t changed a great
organic creatures. This does not account for their appearance, deal. Yes, they’ve gotten tougher but they’re still using hockey
behaviour or even their abilities. sticks and reloading a firearm is almost completely beyond
them. The Night Stalkers are different; they aren’t Carrien,
The normal laws will now apply to Integrated Entities. no matter how close the family resemblance. They could very
When wounded they will bleed, they will age (if their unique easily get smarter, especially once they get more cultural and
persona dictates) and they may no longer take Aeriform sensory input.
shape. On Mort, there are only two known Integrated Entity
Species - the Derro and the Night Stalkers, although there is A month back I saw a Night Stalker pick up a discarded
some speculation that the newly discovered insect species - bowler hat and within a minute it somehow knew to put
the Skulkers, may indeed be an Integrated species of Dream it on its head. I told this to Shiver just the other day and he
Entity. thought I was telling him a funny story.
I told him and now I’m telling you, it’s not meant to be
“I find it quite interesting that in almost every reported funny. It’s a horror story.”
case to Catalogue it is only entire species that have reached Aethernaut Haggs, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
Integrated status. As far as I can tell no Aethernaut or
AetherTracker has ever filed Integration Status on an At first these monsters were misidentified as a new offshoot
individual Dream Entity. of the Carrien Species. They bore many of the same physical
Perhaps it only happens when encountered in numbers characteristics of a Carrien; the fleshless canine skulls, the
and on a global scale. The impact must be vast in order same colouration in hide, but these creatures are a great deal
for transition to occur, which has led many to believe that larger, with overly long gangly limbs and, most notably, an
this may be the underlying motive among Dream Entity outpouring of scruffy, knotted ropes of hair. A feature that
Masters. They wish to drive their own notoriety in the had never been encountered in the Carrien species previously.
Sectors and Downtown until they are part of collective The initial reports encountered them in the sewer systems
consciousness. of Lower Downtown and those locals who would talk to the
Not one Master has ever achieved that goal, but they have Ops and Shivers of SLA Industries called them ‘Nightmare
time and the inclination to make it happen. Carrien’ then later ‘Night Stalkers.’
All they have to do is believe, with unimaginable certainty. The Stalkers were not Carrien, however, but Dream Entities
Conversely, they cannot foresee the problem in this borne of Downtown’s deep seated fear of Carrien and they
perceived ploy. Good news for us, but bad news for them. had been preying on the Lower Downtown Civilians for
In all likelihood becoming Integrated limits their powers many years, growing larger and more insatiable as time
and increases their mortality. Or would a fully Integrated progressed.
Master dictate terms on what reality is? Does such enormous
potential rival that of Builders?
I hope to be long dead before such questions are resolved and
truths are revealed.”
Aethernaut Braddock, Naga 7 Division, 6th Head.
NIGHT STALKER
“As an Aethernaut I can tell you that the Night Stalkers are
a deep concern, as are the Derros. Why? Well, both strains
have transcended to ‘Integrated’ status. They’re biological
now, rather than thought based, mostly.
Neither strain is quite there yet and I put great emphasis
on yet. This is a new species that is gradually working out
the bumps in its reality and unless SLA knocks this on the
38
DREAM ENTITIES
Night Stalkers are far taller than Carrien with a completely

different posture. Night Stalkers stand as tall as a 313
DERRO
Malice Stormer, sometimes even taller yet they move silently The Derros were first reported in 911sd; abstract
despite their size. They emit a terrible stench, although this monstrosities creeping in the shadows, huddling in the black
is a Dream Ability carried over from previous evolutionary of derelict buildings in the lower Districts, waiting for the
phases rather than based on a general lack of hygiene. unwary locals to stray into their territory.
While it is most common to find Night Stalkers in the Downtown is a breeding ground for a variety of strange
Lower Downtown sewers, they travel far in their hunt for and outlandish Dream Entities, but the Derros were in a
flesh and like many strains of Entities some have begun to class of their own; they were a freakish mishmash of varying
migrate up through the Districts into more populated and influences - Wraithen, Scavs, even Carrien were sprinkled
unwitting Sectors. into the mix.
Night Stalkers have never been acknowledged as being What was even more concerning was that such a hybrid
particularly bright and are driven more by hunger and wasn’t simply one unique Cryptid but a burgeoning new
instinct than any intellectual forethought. species appearing in the Downtown Districts. The nature of
Threat Analysis, however, has alarmingly reported a their origins was more interesting to Naga 7 Division than
slight but increasing intelligence in more recent Stalkers, their social behaviours and was certain that there was some
particularly in those who have wandered up into Inner form of method to this madness, so a series of BPNs were
Downtown. issued to seek and capture a few live samples and with a
Night Stalkers stem from a phobia of Carrien yet their bit of luck, the subversive mind who might be behind the
Source Parents have a burning hatred for the relatively new mysterious Derros.
species, built on confusion around such a creature that is like The sanctioned SLA Operatives diligently brought in both.
and so unlike them in body and behaviour. A young, red haired Wraithen called Tott Detric was
Carrien (much like every other species on Mort) cannot shipped straight to Head Office and the Derro specimens
bear the appalling stench of the Night Stalkers which spurs were transported to Naga 7 Division.
them to attack these wandering foes on sight. The Derro captives died of unspecified causes within a
For many years, the Carrien and Night Stalkers have matter of hours, leading the Authority to believe their test
fought over territory and food, but the struggle has reached subjects needed to stay in close proximity to the hive (or
a stalemate. nest) in order to survive.
Night Stalkers take little interest in the encroaching Misereres of the 4th Head set about conducting a series
Carrien, mostly because they do not taste as nice as Human of autopsies in their secretive operating theatre before
and they put up too much of a fight. Humans, on the other various learned members of the Division. They discovered
hand, make much easier prey and their environments more immediately that the Derro had advanced beyond the
intriguing. Consolidation Phase and into the realm of living, organic
beings. They bled when cut and there was marrow in their
Night Stalker bones and most importantly, they haven’t dissolved into
STR DEX KNOW CONC black liquid upon the moment of their deaths.
6 5 0-2 0-3 Aethernauts of the 6th Head were deeply disturbed by their
own findings. The Derros were flourishing in Downtown,
but they were nonetheless the work of a skilled yet immature
0 6 0 +8 mind.
Hit Points Closing Rushing The Derros had advanced too far in their development and
20 3 8 they were a blight on the lives of citizens in Downtown and
the source of numerous Grey Zones flaring up. The members
Skills of the 6th Head uncharacteristically elected to have the
Detect: 3 Distort: 2 Derros eradicated before they could advance any further.
Intimidation: 4 Stealth: 3 Other more ambitious Heads in the Naga fought to protect
the Derro and demanded further study, believing it was
Streetwise: 1 Unarmed Attack: 3
better to wait and see what could become of the Derros.
Equipment & Abilities SLA Industries went against the wishes of the 6th Head
Claws and Teeth, Dread Stench, Tough and the Derro Kings followed soon after…
hide (PV 10, Resistance 26). Derros are a subterranean species, preferring the cool,
gloomy climate of Downtown. When they were first
encountered in Downtown they bore the exact same skin
39
frightening degree, being able to trick fauna and deceive

Shiver Patrols with false messaging.
Only a handful of SLA Operative squads have entered
Derro Nests; they encountered strong resistance from the
inhabitants and narrowly succeed in eliminating the nest’s
resident Derro King. They were also attacked by the Dream
Sacs hatchlings. None of the Helions they encountered had
advanced to the Juvenile Phase but they already bore some
of the bizarre physical characteristics of the Derros and their
bodies were almost completely transparent.
What the Derros are planning with this brood is
unspecified at present. They themselves have advanced into
the Integration Phase yet they still have some keen interest
in the process and biology of Dream Entities.
“I really do not like these things. There’s way too much that
we don’t know of the Derros and what they’re up to in Lower
Downtown. I personally think their interest in the Dream
Sacs is a sort of declaration of war against the authority of
Dream Entity Masters.
They follow the same process of influencing the eggs with
horror and torment, but they put their own spin on it.
It’s like two opposing religions, or ideologies and it’s all
going to come to a head. The Derro Kings warring with the
Entity Masters. That’s my take anyway.
Still, it’s very troubling, I think. These two factions aren’t
just fighting over territories or prey we understand. They’re
colouration as the Carrien, but in more recent years their
fighting to govern their own interpretation of reality.”
ruddy colour has drained away completely, taking on a shiny
grey blue complexion. Aethernaut Morgan, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
Derros are hostile towards all other species, with the Language: Void - Void is a newly recognised language
exception of the Dream Entities they have brought into developing in the Lower Downtown Districts.
existence through tending Dream Sacs.
Derros subsist primarily on flesh (preferably Human) The first reported species to speak Void were the Derros,
but they will always extract the brains from their victims’ but rather alarmingly, this strange mixture of clicks, chirps
skulls to take back to their nests. There, they will slather the and whistles have gradually been adopted by some sections
eggs with brain tissue, activating the unborn Helion within, of the Civilian populace.
stimulating its growth and development. The emergence of Void in cultures outside of the Derro
It is important that the Derro applies this process quickly; is typically a bad indicator of extreme isolation and
the brain is still firing on the victim’s sudden death and the societal collapse in a District or Sector and the possible
fear and suffering is ripe. development of a Grey Zone.
Derros try to target prey as close to their nests as possible, Personate - Personation is the ability to imitate the
even going as far as trying to pull them off the street and vocalisations of other people or species. Derros perform
drag them back to the nest so as to keep everything as fresh this act with incredible skill, perfectly replicating the
as possible. sounds of Humans crying for help, Carrien warning howls,
Naga 7 Division and Threat Analysis are troubled by the even complex soundscapes like distant music on a distorted
Derros continued focus on their Dream Entity origins and radio.
their need to cultivate Dream Sacs and rear Helions. Few species can grasp the advanced techniques performed
They communicate with a series of howls, whistles and by the Derro, who use this mimicry to ward off, mislead or
clicks - a language Threat Analysis refers to as Void. In the draw in their favoured prey.
last year of their development Derros have learned to mimic
the speech patterns and vocalisations of other species, to a
40
DREAM ENTITIES
Derro Whilst the Greater Carrien takes little interest in anything

beyond torture, bullying and eating victims, a Derro King is
STR DEX KNOW CONC largely fascinated by the world around it and how it impacts
3 3 2 2 the evolution of this new species.
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative There are, however, caveats to their sense of wonderment.
1 3 0 Derro Kings obsess over the most vile and harrowing
atrocities committed in Downtown, paying particular
attention to what is aired on television or written and
12 2 5 illustrated in books and magazines.
Skills Once settled in their newly claimed domain the King will
hoard vast quantities violent literature, data slugs of captured
Detect: 2 Intimidation: 2
footage of murder and death and spend every waking hour
Language: Void: 3 Personate: 2 poring over this unsavoury material and scatching out notes
Stealth: 2 Streetwise: 1 in an indecipherable language on the walls of its nest.
Unarmed Combat: 2 All Dream Entity Masters take a keen interest in brutal
acts as they enjoy it and the cruelty will fertilise their Dream
Equipment & Abilities Sacs, yet the Derro Kings will go many steps further. They
Claws and Teeth, Unpowered Melee Weapons. are not merely indulging in obscenity, they are making an in
depth study of it.
DERRO KING Derro Kings focussed attention to the gruesome details and
deep dive into the worst aspects in Mort society inevitably
“I told ‘em. Didn’t I tell ‘em? I told them these weren’t just plunge whole regions into Grey Zones. The neighbouring
some mutant strain of Carrien. locals catch the virus without even knowing the Derro nest
But hey, they were quick to tell me, however, that these is in their midst.
things weren’t anything to worry about. All they do is eat the The sheer malevolence of the Derros taints the environment;
Downtowners and the undesirables, so where’s the problem? Civilians experience terrifying nightmares, with their sanity
Well, here we are, assholes. They stopped just being weird slipping during their waking hours, being driven to perform
looking Carrien and started harvesting and tending Dream acts of unspeakable violence. Rainfolk creep through into
Sacs. I wouldn’t be surprised if a third of the Dream Sacs the region, babbling nonsensities and stagger and congregate
and Helions in Downtown aren’t the work of the Derros. around the building that contains the nest.
It wasn’t even just Head Office thumbing their noses at Even within the nest, the Derro King’s misdeeds warp and
my warning, the other Operatives were at it too. ‘They’re twist the architecture of the apartment block, building its
just Derros’ they’d say. All just a big laugh right up until the own Distortions and coating itself in that black material that
Derro Kings showed up. forms the Dreams Sacs.
Specialist Derros who can craft armour and read and grow
“Derro Kings don’t just infect their surroundings, they
an extra head and get real big real fast.
infect reality. The whole nest starts to mutate into something
So yeah, file this one under ‘Oops, SLA really shoulda dealt resembling the interior of its demented brain. If you can
with this but now we have another massive issue that won’t manage to kill the King, though, within a matter of hours all
go away. Sorry.’ in the ‘Blunders’ drawer, which is looking those Distortions and oily black webbing just fall away and
pretty overstuffed right now, don’t you think?” disappear, the building returns to normal. Any surviving
Joffa ‘Breezy’ Metcalfe, Human Operative, Derros will disperse and flee back into the lower districts to
SCL 7d, Squad ‘The No Go Zoners’. seek out a new King.
I’m not saying that taking down a Derro King is easy,
A ‘Derro King’ is a name given to an exceptionally large but I wish all of Downtown’s Grey Zones were as neatly
form of Derro who governs a roost of lesser individuals. resolved as the ones brought into existence by Derros.
Threat Analysis has drawn clear comparisons to the Greater
It’s like dispelling a corrupted myth.”
Carrien among the Carrien Species, who reach a similar size
and rule over a pack in similarly brutal fashion. Vilhildra ‘Quicksilver’ Sihilann, Ebon Operative,
SCL6b, Squad ‘Dusty Lavender’.
It is true that while a Derro King’s approach to leadership
is harsh and uncompromising, they are somewhat more
Derro Kings have at least Human level intelligence and can
advanced than Greater Carrien. Naga 7 have gone as far as
use a variety of oversized close combat weapons. They pick
to suggest Derro Kings are more closely related to Dream
up skills quite easily and are capable of crafting their own
Entity Masters and exhibit much of the same behaviour.
41
version of Scrap Armour which will improve in quality as a contact or captive and introduce them to all manner of
they hone their skill. horribleness.
Derro Kings understand firearms, but seldom use them.
Derro King
They prefer the intimacy of bladed weapons, where they can
see the pain of wounds up close and personal. Also, being STR DEX KNOW CONC
the size of Greater Carrien or Stormers means most lost and 6 5 5 5
discarded projectile weapons do not fit their large hands.
They can read Killian and understand it as spoken but
3 7 0 +10
never communicate in such a manner, favouring Void, if they
even decide to speak at all. They would much rather subdue Hit Points Closing Rushing
35 3 8
42
DREAM ENTITIES
Skills motion, even if they appear to be solid. Individual parts

might be rock solid one moment and nothing but air
Detect: 4 Distort: 4 moments later.
Intimidation: 4 Language (all): 4
It is hard to believe this is an entirely conscious action, but
Leadership: 4 Mimicry: 4 when the Entity needs to assert itself it has no difficulties
Persuasion: 4 Polearm: 4 in keeping a grip of another creature. Just as it has no
Seduction: 4 Stealth: 4 difficulty keeping ahold of the pieces it swallows.
Streetwise: 2 Survival: 4 Dream Entities with an Aeriform Body take half damage
(rounded up) from all attacks, with the exception of
Tactics: 4 Torture: 4 Fracture weapons (See page 211) such as the FOW Staff
Tracking: 3 Unarmed Combat: 4 or Volt Gun. Some creatures such as Effigies have a body
that is only Partially Aeriform but in these cases this nature
Equipment & Abilities is covered by the Dream Armour power.
Dominate, Heavy Scrap Armour (PV:6, Resistance:
24), Sufferer Staff, DPB Vibrosabre or other Cannibalistic Regeneration - Common in Dream Entities
scavenged Melee weapon. The Derro King can that are influenced by Cannibal and Rawhead imagery,
take 2 actions, though only one of these actions Cannibalistic Regeneration is more erratic and much faster
can use the Sufferer Staff and its powers. than regular regeneration.
Based on the logic of nightmare, Cannibalistic Regeneration
requires a deliberate display in front of witnesses to
DREAM ENTITY ABILITIES properly function. It is not enough for an Entity to simply
bite sentient flesh, they must restrain a target so that it is
Dream Entity Abilities are essentially segregated into two
helpless and then take an action to bite them. After taking
types of ability: Manifestation Abilities and Distortions.
this action, whatever damage is dealt to the victim is healed
Manifestation Abilities are consistent constructs based in the Entity and the victim will suffer Bleeding.
on the Entity’s metaphysical form, whereas Distortions are
If this bite is enough to kill the sentient, the entity will heal
variable effects created by interaction with the subconscious
twice as much as normal.
of the Entity’s victim.
Disturbing Visage - Entities with Disturbing Visage are
MANIFESTATION ABILITIES massive powerhouses that are hideous to look at. These
creatures use STR to make Intimidation Skill Tests instead
Manifestation abilities are abilities that are a part of the of the usual COOL.
Entity’s metaphysical form and are separate from its ability
Dread Stench - The Entity exudes a noxious odour that
to distort reality. Manifestation abilities tend to require
activates the fear response and leaves the victim gagging
no Skill Tests beyond those normally required by regular
for fresh air as the entity closes for the kill.
equipment.
Upon encountering the Entity and coming within 10m,
The Distort Skill: Many Manifestation and Distortion anyone not wearing advanced air filtration must make a
Abilities use the Concentration based Distort skill to Difficulty 10 Strength test. If the test fails, it imposes the
determine whether they have successfully targeted their immobile condition (see Core Rulebook page 115) upon
victims with their powers. The Difficulty of a Distort Skill the character for the next round and forces a Fear Test.
Test usually starts at 8, though should the entity target a
Affected characters can roll to escape the stench every
character with a COOL higher than the entity’s CONC
round, making an additional STR Test prior to rolling
it will suffer a penalty equal to the difference between
initiative that round. Every round the victim is immobilised
these Stats.
the Difficulty of both the STR and Fear Tests increase by 1.
Generally, only Dream Entities possess the Distort skill,
but on rare occasions other entities with limited powers Dream Armour - As Entities manifest they often retain a
might possess it. Information about the Distort skill and somewhat mist-like form that is there, but not. Bullets are
Dream Entity abilities is covered by the Dream Lore skill as likely to fly straight through as they are to impact and
(see page 210). then moments later to simply fall to the floor.
Aeriform Body - Most Dream Entities have bodies that are Some Entities also manifest actual suits of armour, in
as much illusion or insubstantial forms as they are physical an approximation of the creature they emulate. Dream
manifestations. This is particularly true of manifestations Armour, whether from Dream Interpreted Equipment or
that have yet to bloom but can also be the case in more the Entity’s natural form functions as regular armour with
significant manifestations. Aeriform bodies are in constant a set PV but no Resistance to deplete and no Wt.
43
Dream Armour aware that impersonation has taken place can act as they
choose, but may be subject to skill penalties depending on
PV Resistance Weight the consequences of their choices.
2-20 N/A 0
Rift Weapons - It is common for Dream Entities to possess
Enmity Blast - The Entity can summon up gouts of black vicious talons called Rift Claws, allowing them to tear
bile which it propels at its opponent. For most creatures apart victims with relative ease.
this is summoned and thrown or spat as if it were some
Rift Weapons are created from a semi- spectral matter that
sort of natural weapon. But where an Entity carries a
dances between mist and metal enabling their sharp edges
Dream Interpreted Firearm it can be fired as if it were a
to penetrate even the strongest armour to find the flesh
blast from that weapon. Upon impact the ichor will burn
within. While these blows and bites are painful they are
its way through armour and eventually flesh but more
seldom fatal. This allows Dream Entities to strike targets,
advanced Entities can lace horrendous nightmares into the
passing through their armour and solidifying as they find
regurgitation, adding hideous delusions to the suffering of
flesh within.
the dissolving victim.
Attacks made with Rift Weapons can be defended against
Enmity Blast Cost: NA with Aether Armour (see page 213) but all other forms
Skill: Distort of armour provide 0 PV. Some creatures have Vicious Rift
Weapons (See Vicious on page 170). These increase the
damage of Rift Claws & Teeth by the rating indicated.
1d10+2 4 4 0 The most common Rift Weapons; Rift Claws & Teeth can
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost be found on page 202 of the Core Rulebook.
1 0 8m N/A The Scream - The Scream is a psycho-sonic attack most
Anyone hit by an Enmity Blast suffers the burning commonly found amongst the Dream Entities called
condition until the bile is cleaned off. Enmity Blast Screamers. The Scream manifests as a high pitched shriek
emits a 1m wide stream of ichor which is not stopped of such an unnatural resonance that it can induce nausea
by it hitting a target. A roll to hit is required against and damage the auditory canal of most species.
every target within the stream, with an additional While a single blast can be painful and unpleasant multiple
-1 modifier being applied to all dice for every blasts can cause blood vessels to rupture and in the worst
other target that the stream has already passed. cases neural overload.
Memetic Vector - Entities that are Memetic Vectors are Luckily most manifestations of this power are significantly
particularly infectious carriers of the Grey. When making a limited in range.
test to resist catching Strain Y this test suffers a -1 penalty
if the Entity acting as a Vector is a Juvenile or a -2 Penalty The Scream
if it is in some other stage of development. Skill: Distort Blast
Mimicry - Mimicry is the art of impersonation, of observing DMG Min DMG AD Weight Radius
a target’s shape and perception of self, of taking this and 2 2 0 0 10m
remolding the Aeriform Body to match it.
Most commonly associated with the Entities called ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost
Flickers, Mimicry uses the Distort skill to impersonate 1 0 0m N/A N/A
someone. Tests are rolled when the Entity interacts with The Scream is a Rift weapon and is capable of ignoring
other people and the difficulty of the Distort Skill Test is the abilities of Aether Armour. It automatically
based on how well the person being interacted with knew hits any Non-Dream Entity within a 10m radius
the character being impersonated. This can vary from even on a failed Distort Skill Test but additional
a casual acquaintance at Difficulty 5, to close family at successes will increase the damage dealt as normal.
Difficulty 13.
Once an Entity has made this test they only need to make If a Serious failure is rolled while using this power
another test should they break character, take damage, or it will cause 0 damage and prevent the entity
meet another person. causing damage with the power for 1d10-5 turns.
Any target hit twice by The Scream in 5 minutes
Once the impersonation is uncovered all characters present will also suffer the effects of extreme nausea,
and advised of the impersonation can make a Difficulty giving them -1 STR and COOL for 1 hour.
8 Detect Skill Test to confirm that the entity is not the
character being impersonated. Characters that are not Shadow Claws - Formed from the darkness that surrounds
the entity, shadow claws are malignant manifestations
44
DREAM ENTITIES
forged from the memories and fear of pain itself. Unlike Distortion Modifiers
the misty Rift Claws power, these razor sharp talons are
far too real and affect physical objects as if the claws were Type Modifier
normal weapons. Cunning entities that have both Rift and to Distort
Shadow Claws often use these powers in concert, changing Skill Test
the nature of their blades with a whim so that the claws Multiple Targets (Lesser) -4 per victim
are buried nice and deep when they tear their victim apart.
Multiple Targets (Moderate) -2 per victim
Shadow Claws Multiple Targets (Greater) -1 per victim
SKILL: Unarmed Combat Second attack that day by
-2
DMG Min DMG AD Weight the creature (Lesser)
Second attack that day by
1d10+6 7 3 0 -1
the creature (Moderate)
Creatures with both the powers Rift Weapons
Third (or more) attack that
and Shadow Claws increase the DMG -4
day by the creature (Lesser)
and AD of Shadow Claws by +2.
Third (or more) attack that day
-2
DISTORTIONS by the creature (Moderate)
A common way in which Dream Entities ‘attack’ their Mind Control - One of the greatest sources of horror is the
victims is through the distortion of reality. A Dream Entity loss of personal control. That moment when you are trapped
may create as many Distortions per day as their Distortion inside your body witnessing it act against your wishes,
pool. This is indicated by a number of uses shown next to performing heinous acts that you thought it incapable of.
a Distortion power (usually Reality Distortion) and all Mind Control is a type of (usually Lesser) Distortion that
Distortions will be limited by this pool which will regenerate uncouples the mind from the body allowing the mind of the
over the course of a day as the GM sees fit. Entity to take over the body of its target. Upon a successful
Creating a successful Distortion requires a Challenging Skill Test with the target’s Cool as a penalty, the Entity
Distort Skill Test. Once trapped within a Distortion, a can control the body using any skill that the target might
subject may attempt to break free by making a successful possess at a -2 penalty. Unlike normal Reality Distortions
Difficulty 10 COOL roll, with a penalty equal to the CONC the target can roll to escape this every round making the
stat of the Dream Entity that created the distortion. Those test prior to rolling initiative that round.
outside the effect may attempt to help ‘pull’ someone from a While controlling its puppet, the Entity’s body enters a
distortion, with each adding a bonus equal to their ranks in defenceless trance like state, but even if the body is destroyed
the Leadership skill +1. the mind control will be maintained until the Entity’s mind
Escape attempts and Duration vary depending on the is evicted from the host. Particularly powerful Entities have
grade of the Distortion power. A character can try to escape been known to move from host to host till they can find a
from a Lesser Distortion every 15 minutes, with the effect Dream Sac to infect and rebuild their body afresh.
fading after an hour. Moderate Distortions can be tested
Dominate: Dream Entity Masters have a much more
against every hour with the Distortion fading after 12 hours.
powerful form of Mind Control that they can use on
Greater Distortions do not lapse while the Dream Entity
weaker Entities.
that created it lives. Escape can be attempted every 12 hours.
Apparitions seem to be immune and Shadows more
Every failed attempt induces more and more psychological
resilient than most, leading to conjecture that the more
damage. If the character doesn’t possess a Psychosis
corporeal the Entity, the easier it is bound to the Master.
Disadvantage, on a failed escape they will gain one rank
in an appropriate Disadvantage. Otherwise an existing Unlike regular Mind Control, Dominate does not cause
Psychosis Disadvantage will increase in potency by 1 rank. the Master to enter a dormant state and as a Greater
In addition to this every 6 hours or part thereof spent in a Reality Distortion, is essentially unlimited in duration.
Greater Distortion will reduce the Character’s COOL by -1 It is very rare for an Entity to escape. Every 12 hours
until they have spent a full day outside of a Distortion. an Entity spends under the Master’s control it suffers a
cumulative -3 penalty on tests to escape meaning that
It is up to the GM whether the induced psychoses are
after 48 hours it is effectively trapped forever.
temporary, or whether they are indefinite but even if
temporary, the prospect of facing another Reality Distortion Mind Paralysis - Some Entities are so horrific that their
should lead to penalties on subsequent Fear Tests. very visage is enough to cause the mind to rebel. They might
be Green Horrors sighted by Shivers in CS1, the more
heinous Cryptids of Lower Downtown or Shadows lurking
45
in an Uptown basement. Upon a successful use of the Distort Time Distortions follow the rules for a regular Reality
skill, the target is subject to an immediate Rating 6 Fear Test Distortion and are usually Lesser Reality Distortions.
with a penalty equal to the Entity’s Torture skill. If the Fear While affected characters caught in a Time Distortion can
Test fails, it imposes the immobile condition upon the target. only move at a speed of 1 and suffer a -3 modifier on all
Unlike normal Distortions the target can roll to escape this physical and social Skill Tests. While disorientated after
every round making the test prior to rolling initiative that escaping this reduces to a -1 penalty.
round, succeeding on this test does not remove any results Time Distortions are limited in use as per Reality
of the Fear Test. Distortions taking uses from the X listed against the
Entities Distortion ability. Should the Entity not have
Note: Most Entities with Mind Paralysis can only use the
the Reality Distortion ability the number of uses will be
ability once every 10 combat rounds but the specifics of
recorded against Time Distortion itself.
individual entities are left up to the GM.
Named Entities, particularly Dream Entity Masters
have much more frequent use of this ability using their DREAM HARDWARE
Distortion Pool as normal.
Reality Distortion - The Entity will seemingly transform MELEE WEAPONS
the world around their victim, creating a horrorshow of
never ending corridors, flooded rooms, disappearing doors DREAM BLADE
and omens of death. In reality, these visions cause little
physical harm, instead aiming to break the mind with The weapons are rumoured to be made of the crystilled
overwhelming psychological damage. spinal fluid of the Shivers from Squad 83, although more
Reality Distortion is usually the only form of defence that recently witnessed artefacts have taken a blackened glass
a newly formed Helion has, but over time some entities visage which may stem from an entirely different Source
become lethally adept at twisting mortal perceptions and Parent.
can find more and more creative ways to use their abilities. Dream Blades are a common weapon used by Dream Entity
Reality Distortion uses the basic rules for Distortions and Masters. Unlike most Rift Weapons, Dream Blades can shift
is one of the most common abilities to find at Moderate between their usual transcendental form and a dramatic, even
and Greater levels. explosive, physical weapon as the Master wishes. When used
in an Attack the Dream Blade uses the below stat line but
Shadow Merge - Shadow Merge is a subtype of Reality can use either the Rift Weapon or Concussive Blast special
Distortion (usually Lesser) that allows the Dream Entity rules, making their choice when they make the attack roll.
to manipulate its form in a manner similar to active
camouflage and to engage in psychological warfare using Dream Blade - Rift Weapon Form
its body to create feelings of unease, uncertainty and
confusion. Surviving victims often report sensations of
being utterly alone, even if fellow survivors were within
arms reach, though this may be apocryphal as it is uncertain
what percentage of victims survive such predation.
Rules: The Entity cannot be seen using UV, IR or

Thermal imaging. Any Detect rolls to spot or hear the
Entity receive a -2 modifier to all dice. In addition, the
Entity may target a victim using their Distort skill in an
attempt to impose Mind Paralysis.
Skill: Melee Weapons
Time Distortion - Time Distortion is a specialised type
of Reality Distortion that affects the victims senses and DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
ability to interact with the world. The victim perceives time 2d10+2 7 Special 0
as if it were running much more slowly than normal. Those Either, Rift Weapons (page 44) or Concussive Blast.
witnessing an affected victim will hear them speak in a slow Concussive Blast: When the weapon hits its target
agonising manner and move sluggishly if at all. Once the and rolls Damage the result is applied as AD too.
target has escaped from the distortion the effects will fade
in a few moments, this can be momentarily disorientating
and Skill Tests made for 1d10-Cool rounds after the
distortion will be affected.
46
DREAM ENTITIES
for Aeriform Body or Dream Armour, Blades will be Rift

FEAR STAFF Weapons and Guns will be capable of firing Enmity Blasts.
Forged from the stuff of living nightmares, the Fear Staff This allows the Entity to use whichever skill is better for
is a semi-sentient familiar bent to the service of the Dream them when using the power; the one that governs the ability,
Entity Master. While a powerful weapon in its own right, or the one that governs the equipment.
its real value lies in the staff ’s ability to sense the weaknesses
of those around it and relay this information to the Dream OINKY-BOINKY
Entity Master.
Found, sitting unloved in isolated places and crowded
While the Dream Entity Master holds the Fear Staff all
streets alike, this Entity looks for the most part like a lost
tests to resist its Distortion abilities are made at -2 and
child’s toy. It sits motionless, waiting to be picked up while
when it strikes a victim they suffer -2 Cool for 1 min and are
emanating a siren call to all that see it.
subject to an immediate Fear Test.
Survivors of an Oinky-Boinky report being filled with the
If the Dream Entity Master is within 5m of the Fear Staff
knowledge that the toy was theirs and that they’d finally
it gains +1 to Detect Skill Tests.
found it after a long time of searching and disappointment.
Anyone coming into visual contact with an Oinky-Boinky
must make an MR 10 test or seek to take ownership of the
item until a single person has maintained exclusive possession
of it for 30 seconds at which point all rival claimants are
immune to that particular Oinky-Boinky.
As many individuals can be affected at once, the presence
of an Oinky-Boinky can and has led to riots, particularly
when it manifests in toy stores or the crowded streets of
Downtown.
Fear Staff Claiming an Oinky- Boinky is theoretically easy, just hold
Skill: Melee Weapons onto it, by yourself for 30 seconds. In practice though, the
mental stamina needed to endure the arguments and scuffles
DMG Min DMG AD Weight that ensue means that ironically the most dominant person
1d10 4 0 0 in proximity (Highest CHA+COOL) tends to be the most
Anyone struck by a Fear Staff suffers -2 COOL for likely to wind up with the Oinky-Boinky.
1 min and must make an immediate Fear Test Once an Oinky-Boinky has been claimed by an individual
it ceases to emit this call and instead focuses on their new
owner forcing them to carry it everywhere with them until
DREAM INTERPRETED EQUIPMENT the owner is driven violently insane.
As approximations of reality that take their visage from Characters with Dream Lore 2 or higher will be fully aware
nightmares many Entities will carry an object that serves of the nature of the Oinky-Boinky and, should they succeed
to fulfil a purpose, but is little more than an extension of in the initial MR test, may opt to destroy it. For this purpose
the Entity. This commonly includes suits or armour, medical the Oinky Boinky has a PV of 4 and 10 Hit Points.
equipment and weapons, but while they have the outwards
appearance of such a device this is where the similarity ends.
Entities seldom have any idea of how a tool is meant to
function and other than the basic essentials (Look, Feel
and Sound) all of which will be distorted into nightmarish
approximations, it will bear little relation to the real thing.
For the purposes of most activities the approximation will
perform as the item it is intended to represent, though little
details (like ammo or power duration) will often be glossed
over by the interpretation allowing effectively infinite use
with minor affectations such as intermittently unloading and
reloading the same magazine into a gun.
In addition to this many powers will manifest through the
Dream Interpreted Equipment. Armour will use the rules
47
When the Oinky-Boinky is destroyed it explodes in red Oopsie Daisy MR: 13

confetti and glitter. Destroying the Entity is often the only
way to save the owner, though it is unlikely they’ll be grateful Vectors: Visual Contact.
and their Schizophrenic symptoms will persist indefinitely. Effects: The target of the Oopsie Daisy
will begin to mindlessly wander in
Oinky Boinky MR: 10 the direction of the lure and grant
Vectors: Visual Contact the owner of the Oopsie Daisy
+1 Skill Rank for the purposes of
Effects: Compulsion 5: “Your Oinky Boinky!”
creating a Reality Distortion.
Progression 48 hours after obtaining sole custody,
Progression: After a minute, the character
the victim suffers -2 COOL and
can roll the MR test again,
gains 1 rank of Schizophrenia
Every attempt to escape the
(Permanently). They must make an
trance increases the MR by 1.
additional MR test every 48 hours
or gain an additional temporary Treatment: Treatment Rating: 13. Restraint until
Psychosis. When the victim has the treatment or MR test succeeds.
a number of Psychoses equal to Treatment: Treatment Rating: 4. Confiscation/
their COOL stat they will enter Destruction of the Oopsie Daisy.
a homicidal rage which will last
until they make a successful MR SUFFERER STAFF
test to resist the Oinky-Boinky.
Derro Kings can sniff out fear in the same way that
Progression After failing to obtain sole
Carrien can pick up the scent of blood in the air. This terror
custody, if the affected party
is something the King can taste and the sweeter the flavour
rolled a 1 on their MR test they
the more inspired and inclined it is to keep a specific victim
gain the trait Depression.
around.
Treatment: Treatment Rating: 4. Confiscation/
The Derro King will enslave and squeeze as much fear
Destruction of the Oinky-Boinky.
from its favoured prey until the mind completely gives out.
Disturbingly, the Derro King isn’t done with its toy thing;
OOPSIE DAISY it will carefully extract the brain from its victims skull and
The original Oopsie-Daisy was a character in a popular construct a metal staff to impale it with. The Sufferer Staff
children’s cartoon which was later weaponised by the Happy utilises Dream energy to prolong the life of the fearful mind
Camper Dream Swarm. Since then these floating red and the Derro King wields it like a sceptre, using its phantom
balloons have appeared in the hands of numerous Titters screams to influence its ever growing clutch of Dream Sacs.
and similar Entities and it is unclear if these are tools or The Sufferer Staff is the tool that allows the Derro King
some sort of symbiotic Entity. to maintain its Dream Entity Powers. While it holds the
Their purpose is clear, as the balloon drifts Sufferer Staff it can use the following powers: Memetic
by it ensnares the interest of its target and Vector, Mind Control, Mind Paralysis, Reality Distortion
staying just out of their reach lures them (Greater) 30, Regeneration 5.
initially into a hypnotic trance and finally Sufferer Staff
into the clutches of its owner.
Skill: Polearm
While Naga 7 has yet to uncover the
source of the Oopsie Daisy, it is believed DMG Min DMG AD Weight
that they are a manifestation akin to 2d10+1 7 0 0
a Dream Entity Master’s Fear Staff. A The Sufferer Staff is a Rift Weapon and anyone struck
perversion of a local Dream Sac that leads the by it suffers -1 COOL for 1 min. Exceptional successes
emerging Helion to become symbiotic when on attack rolls mean that the target has been impaled
a neighbouring Entity has been particularly and must make a STR roll each round to get free, if the
successful in attracting victims. target is impaled when the wielder acts, it takes the staff ’s
minimum damage ignoring PV. Ebonites that are exposed
to the Sufferer Staff must also make an immediate Fear
Test as the staff seeks to intrude upon their thoughts.
48
DEEP CONSTRUCT
The Deep Construct 2 - ‘Rottenhat.’ “Got it.” Jane said.

+++ DIARY ENTRY 2 +++ “If they’re alerted, do not fire unless necessary, the sound
may alert others. We don’t know their numbers yet. We’re
It’s my watch and both Grayson and Harris are sleeping. just passing through, let’s go.”
I’m shocked at how quiet it is down here. Actually, that’s
not entirely true, there is a constant stream of noise, but it is The three gradually worked their way around the drunken
not that of Inner Downtown, where it’s a din of car horns, men, slipping silently behind cars whose tires had exhaled
bustling crowds and street life. and sank down onto the concrete centuries ago, growing
mouldy and dull.
Down here, it is the endless sound of droning machinery
that keeps Mort running; the drip, drip of leaking pipes, air “Easy there, we’re picking up a vague reading.” Greyson
and water processors and beneath it all the sound of muffled said, “15 feet, left, 9 o’clock. Check it, Harris.”
screams and babies crying. Harris darted ahead, then paused, leaning against the
I quietly put my ear to the ground and listened to shouting, broken tail lights of an old truck. He peered around and let
voices stained with fear, just one flight down. We are getting out a low sigh that crackled across Jane’s headset.
closer now to true Lower Downtown. “Corpse, the motion picked up the fly cluster. Keep
+++ moving. We’re almost there.”
Harris took point again, his body bent over with quiet Jane followed Harris’s path and unable to stop herself,
footfalls as he descended down to the next darkened level. glimpsed what he’d reported.
He reached out an armoured hand to touch the cracked, Through the murky grey optics she could see the table, set
orange tiles to steady himself as he reached the final step of up for a birthday party. There were four guests, all toys and
a stairwell. dolls, coated in dust and streamers, party hats that had been
The hand shot up, motioning for the team to stop. nailed into their heads and then there was the birthday boy
himself.
Across what appeared to be the crumbling remains of an
underground carpark they could hear distant voices. Men. The corpse was the size of a ten year old with its back to
Shouting and laughing. Jane, slumped over the table and matted with a cloud of
flies. Dead for a long time.
Urbano strained to listen. The shouts were angry, but so
was the laughter. All laced with alcohol and solvents. “Keep moving, Jane!” Greyson hissed through her headset,
causing her to start, bumping her shotgun against the panel
At the far end of the shadowy carpark, three Human of a rusted civi car.
men sat beneath the one remaining yellow electric light.
It seemed to be their drinking spot, having set up varying The metallic thud echoed across the carpark.
broken pieces of furniture, home comforts and bric a brac One decaying arm of the child slipped from the table and
into the tight square of illumination. All three men looked swung listlessly around the heel of his sneaker.
to be in their late forties, faces reddened by decades of drink
and inevitable conflict, likely with each other. Instantly, the bearded man sprang to his feet, tipping over
a plastic coffee table, spilling ashtrays, empty beer cans and
One was considerably larger than the other two, with a syringes. The other men stopped singing and turned to peer
belly hanging from beneath his filthy t-shirt. His fleshy face into the gloom.
was hidden under a greasy beard. His head was shiny and
bald, picking up the light and was easily the brightest object “Ronnie!” The man bellowed, “Is that you out there?
in this desperate scene. Ronnie! Don’t you be fucking with us again, you fuck!!
Ronnie!!!”
He was slumped down on the torn remains of a seat that
had once belonged on a coach bus and was huffing deeply “Settle down, Todd. He just be fucking with you, man.”
from a plastic carrier bag, whilst his two cohorts bellowed One man rose unsteadily to his feet, slurring his speech,
out an incomprehensible tune, whisky bottles in their hands. but was immediately pushed back onto his chair, which
proceeded to topple over, pitching the man and his beer into
“Okay, three civis, one pistol visible, they look like they’ll the dark.
give us grief, so we’re going to go around. No torchlight,
switch to thermal optics. Slow and methodical. Watch your “Todd, you fucking ass, man. I spilled ma whisky an-”
feet.” Harris said, clicking off the light fixture on his rifle. “Shut up, Bubbles!!!” Todd yelled down at him, ropes of
“I’ve done a quick sweep of the car park, no living organisms spittle and congealed glue erupting from his mouth.
on the Motion Scanner. Head for the exit, 200 feet, North Continued on Page 126
West, 2 o’clock.” Greyson whispered through the intercom.
49
MORT CITY GANGS

“Fuck off, SLA. Don’t even try to make out there’s a choice. “My advice is to just leave’ em be. If anything, our local
You join a gang because it’s your only fucking option. The gang is doing as good a job of keeping out the Shi’An cult as
whole of Downtown is set up to destroy the Civilian and we are. Last week we had a Pedlar doing the rounds on the
don’t expect Shivers to be any help at all; they’re like, the outskirts of our Sector. He was a sneaky fuck, that guy and he
biggest problem we have. You wanna know how to stop a knew how to creep around without us getting a bead on him.
Shiver beating you? Flash ‘em your colours and nine times Our Patrol Sergeant finally managed to get a HunterSheet
outta ten they’ll back right the fuck off. organised to track the bastard down, but by the time the
They got the armour, sure, but we’ve got the firearms and Slops arrived the Pedlar had turned up dead.
our gear’s a damn sight better than those pissy Browbeaters. See the thing about our locals is they are part of the Pig
We paid top unis for Soft Company weaponry, not some Nicks syndicate and you really don’t want to mess around
CAF level shit. I’ve never killed a Shiver, but if I shoot one with those boys and I know it must have been them who
with one of these? He’s going down, Body Blocker or no. got to the cultist because he had all the trademarks of a Pig
Here’s what most people don’t realise; Shivers actively try Nick hit - he was hanging upside down from a street light,
to avoid us. They don’t need the hassle, the paperwork or the throat slit, disembowelled with his hanging guts replaced
medical bills. There are easier targets out there. with linked sausage meat.
We’re the gangs of Mort City and we ain’t never going Problem solved.
away.” Those Pig Nicks do so love their butcher themes, don’t they?”
Bobby ‘Hooks’ Kaminski, Enforcer, The Pig Nicks. Shiver Pvt. Bench Michaels, Downtown Patrol.
SLA Industries has spent years and considerable expense, Gangs are constantly driven to bolster their numbers
attempting to curb the growth of gang activity in Mort City. and improve the weapons they carry. In times past Gangs
In every generation the company will take steps to tear down relied heavily on the civilian level CAF weaponry, but such
their governing body and dismantle the largest gang outfits. firearms do not stand up to higher level threats. It began as
However much they shatter that fundamental principle of such, wherein one of the larger gangs - The Big Numbers
the Gang, destroying the main players, the broken pieces - built an alliance with Sparky, a munitions Soft Company
will gradually gel and interconnect back over time, taking that came to prominence in 909sd.
different forms and names. The Big Numbers would provide security for their shady
Gangs are also reshaped through circumstance and social business transactions and Sparky would sell them ballistics,
change. They alter to fulfil the needs and wants presented in at cost. The Big Numbers had already built quite a name for
their daily lives. themselves by 909sd and their brutal reputation held weight
In the modern era, known as The Changes, gangs have in the soft company’s negotiations with crime syndicates and
evolved into smaller groups. They are a lot more aggressive skin traders.
in 915sd and instead of blending in with society the stylings Once the other top gangs saw that the Big Numbers were
of present day gangs are more elaborate and garish. Gangs upgrading their defences, they quickly followed suit and
no longer lurk in the dark alleyways; they are very much out uneasy bonds formed between Mort’s gangs and numerous
in the open and emboldened against threats issued by the Soft Companies, starting with pistols and shotguns,
Shiver Patrols. extending into armour, vehicles and K’Shangs.
In 915sd, both the Shivers and Gang outfits themselves
have greater concerns to worry about. In Downtown alone, “Listen, kid. The first rule of joining a gang is applying
the varying Districts and Sectors are infested by the familiar common sense. The ability to assess a situation and know
Carrien and Manchines, but now there are newer dangers how to react. That also means knowing when to back down.
in the form of Dream Entities and Cult activity, which are You just got given a BlastHappy semi automatic and it’ll go
just as opposed to gang proximity as they are with SLA through Shiver armour and wipe a guy right out.
interference.
50
M O RT C I T Y GA N GS
Congratulations, you’ve struck a blow for the gang. Down

with SLA and all that shit.
But now what? You’ve got a dead Shiver on your hands;
that’s a problem. But you represent the gang and Shivers are
going to treat it as all our problem. They’re going to punish us
and we’re going to punish you. Big fucking problem.
The Shivers will come back at us mob handed, or worse,
they call in Operatives. That’s Stormers, that’s Shaktars and
they’re just going to laugh at your BlastHappy. You get what
I’m saying?
If we’re going to use these weapons, we better mean it and
only the Boss gets to make that decision.
Second rule is doing what you’re told. You break these rules
and you won’t see out a week in the gangs. You’re pig fodder.”
Janey “Pistol Whip’ Thomson, Gang
Enforcer, Krosstown Traffic.
GANG STRUCTURE
“My pops died at the age of 43, I think. I’m guessing, fuck
it, he had grey hair. He was kinda old.
He worked for SLA Industries, pulling 10 hour shifts
pouring zesty orange paste into moulds at the Smell-Right
carbolic soap factory. Stupid prick did that shit since he was
15 for a handful of unis a day. Never saw any promotion.
Never got out of it.
My pops drank like a Shiver and used his fists like one too.
‘Soon as he was out the factory he was in the pub next door.
Did a whole ‘nother shift in there and staggered back home
to thump me and my mom.
I can’t much remember my mom’s face that well; it was
always bruised and mashed up. I do remember that clicking
sound when pop’s ring struck her cheekbone though. I’m not
sure what happened to her, I think she just upped and left
one day. Or he flat out killed her and dumped her ass down a
sewer grate. Both possibilities seem pretty credible.
‘Pisses me off that I never got to murder my pops; the
asshole had it comin’. It was the chemicals in that Smell-
Right soap he’d been inhaling for all those years that got him.
Zesty orange fumes fucked his lungs and he quit breathing
one night in his armchair, shit-faced, ciggie burned down in
his hand. I wasn’t sure if he’d died or not, I mean the guy had
looked like a corpse for ages.
I pissed on the guy when I found him like that. Took the
last few unis from his pocket, left that apartment and never
looked back.
That ain’t me. I’m not going out like that. Coughing up
blood and withering away in a stinking armchair.
I’ll take my chances with the crew. Any fate’s better than
what happened to my fuckin’ pops.”
Dwayne ‘Hacktop’ Stedman, Gang Tank, Pale Zeroes.
51
To the outsider, a Downtown street gang will look like a The yearly earnings for a Downtown Gang varies widely,
chaotic and seemingly random gathering of young civilians some make just a few thousand a month, but at the top
congregated on the corner of a tower block. They seem to end, gangs like The Big Numbers and Krosstown Traffic
have no direction or purpose, but in reality it is a highly are turning over millions. In this sense, Threat Analysis has
organised and determined group who are unified and expressed the need to switch urban gangs from Collateral
working off a system of code and rules that have been passed status, to Corporate Status, but old habits die hard and SLA
down from generation to generation of underclass criminals. Industries would rather not acknowledge the Mort City
Gangs have existed on Mort since the Formation, first gangs as holding that much power.
drawing together in Central Outskirts, then growing in
numbers and strength in Downtown ever since. Mort has “ You’d think that gangs would be proud to get that
always been a harsh environment and gangs are often the almighty Corporate threat status, but I really think that’d
only real option for young people. They do not want to live be a death sentence for us all. I’ve seen how SLA Ops go
as their parents have done before and they are inspired by after DarkNight and they sure don’t pull any punches. We’re
televised media to forge a new path for themselves; a bright getting pretty well equipped these days; we have to, but
future in which they are more than willing to lie, steal and there’s no way we can take on a bunch of Stormers and the
kill in order to achieve their aims. like.
The bottom line is SLA would wipe us out in a matter of
GANG VALUES months if we piss ‘em off too much. It’d be a bloodbath I’m
sure, but ultimately we’d lose. This is why we have to be
Gang members need a sense of belonging. There is the careful how we spend and show all those heaps of unis. We’re
strength and safety in numbers and the validation that a few bold choices away from open warfare and I really don’t
comes with the perception of being tough and dangerous. fancy checking out that way.”
These elements can maintain a street gang when it is
Sorv Vleen, Wraithen Gang Member,
relatively small or new in Mort City. As the gang expands,
Adviser, “The Pipe Bombers’
matures and swells in numbers the members must seek new
opportunities to maintain loyalty and desirability.
This usually takes the form of earnings and finance. When OUTFITS
gang members get decent money in their pockets they buy
Within a decent sized Gang organisation there are a
nicer clothes and arm themselves better, which once again
number of active Outfits. An Outfit usually comprises 6 -10
feeds into their desire for validation - impoverished kids on
members, including a Tank or Blade and a Captain to run it.
the street will see impressive individuals with all their finery
The Outfit holds dominion over either a tower block or tight
and swagger and wish to join the crew when they get older.
section of a Downtown Sector; this is referred to as Turf.
“Thing about Downtown gangs is that they’re really not Gang Outfits spend their time operating specifically within
so different from Soft Companies, or even SLA. It is all the this singular region, all in service to the Boss and they only
same progression and politics in a microcosm. Just like any ever leave their Turf to attend counsel, or to settle a score
Operatives, the gang kid joins a crew at the bottom rung with a rival gang.
of the ladder and starts trying to climb up - better threads, Smaller gangs can be nothing more than just a singular
better gear, more responsibilities, more respect, more risk. Outfit, with no Captains and just a Boss to run the crew.
They may not get to be the gang boss, but they’ll work hard to Over time these Outfits are gradually transformed into
get as close to that position as they can. Orphan Outfits; absorbed into much larger Gangs, losing
Most die on the way up that ladder and the moment they their identity and forced to wear new colours.
do they’re replaced the next day. A Gang Outfit has a financial quota to meet every week,
The other way is to live the gang life for a few years then which is delivered to the Gang Boss on each and every
try to join the company and I’ll tell you, ex-gang members Friday afternoon - this is termed ‘Close of Business’.
can make some of the best Operatives around; they know Outfits often gather in one spot, whether that be a street
the streets as well as any Shiver but more importantly they corner, the doorway to an Apartment block or an arcade
know how companies work. in their Sector. Quite often more established Outfits will
Yes, I’m telling you that SLA Industries is just a really big effectively commandeer a bar or eatery to act as their point
gang, with the meanest, scariest gang boss around.” of contact, whether the owner of the establishment wants
them there or not. Many Outfits will pay a substantial sum
Joffa ‘Breezy’ Metcalfe, Human Operative,
to the owner or squeeze them on a protection racket to make
SCL 7d, Squad ‘The No-Go Zoners’.
the gathering spot their own.
52
BEING PROVEN Determined and Industrious

Gangs who have foresight and business acumen are of
This is essential in getting respect within Mort City’s gangs.
greatest concern to SLA, since they veer from simple street
The Big Three decide you are worth acknowledgement if you
misdemeanours into corporate crime. Downtown gangs
can prove your crew’s worth. This is especially tough for new
who excel in this arena can very quickly amass considerable
up-and-coming gangs where making a name for oneself
wealth in unis, rivalling some of the more established Soft
comes with increasing risk to life.
Companies. Industrious gangs are less concerned with
Those deemed ‘Unproven’ hold the lowest possible status in warfare and are driven by the acquisition of wealth and
the hierarchy and earn the derogatory title of Urchins. recognition through said wealth. This is especially true of the
Big Numbers; one of Mort City’s largest and most iconic
GANG PERSONALITIES gangs.
Brutish and Aggressive Isolationist and Insular
Many believe this to be true of all gangs, but this is not When territory takes over the gang’s philosophy, closing
necessarily the case. These gangs specifically rely on brute their borders and keeping others out, they can turn inward
force and intimidation to hold their position in Downtown. and become isolationist. While still taking their orders from
They are quick to fight and rarely back down. Might is right. The Big Three, insular gangs will defend their own turf over
These are gangs that hold physical prowess and combat anything else. They have bigotted views, seeing outsiders as
abilities as paramount. inferior and responsible for everything that goes wrong.
Hostile and Psychotic
GANG ACTIVITIES
Some gangs, particularly those based in the Districts close
to Lower Downtown border on the homicidal. They are not “I hate how these Data Slugs state ‘Gang Activities’. Look,
so different to the Carrien and Serial Killers who stalk the just call them for what they are - Crimes! They are not
Sector streets, preying on anything that crosses their path. performing ‘activities’, they are committing crimes!”
Such Gangs will lurk in the shadows, but will attack any
Joffa ‘Breezy’ Metcalfe, Human Operative,
outsiders on sight with terminal force. The longer they exist
SCL 7d, Squad ‘The No-Go Zoners’.
unchecked, the more detached and unhinged they become,
eventually they forgo all laws and rules set forth by The Big
Prospects seeking to enter a gang are often a bit shocked to
Three.
realise that being part of the crew is not simply threatening
the locals and trying to look cool. It is a job just like any other,
except the boss of the operation is a lot tougher, demanding
and frightening. The hours are longer, the risks higher, but it
is all in service of a greater reward.
From the moment the gang member rises in the morning
they are expected to do the rounds and most importantly
earn for the crew. Friday’s ‘Close of Business’ is always
looming and there’s the quota to meet.
Extortion
Extortion is easily the most common form of earning
known to gangs. It is simple, quick and effective. Most
Gang Enforcers prefer the age-old profession of ‘protection
racketeering’. The gang member enters a commercial
premises or apartment block and through physical force
persuades the business owner or tenants to make weekly or
monthly payments to the hoodlum. In return they receive
‘protection’ from similar undesirables who will attempt to
threaten, rob, coerce or potentially kill the residents.
This practice is exceptionally common in all Districts of
Downtown, with most civilians just apathetically accepting
it as part and parcel of their daily lives. It has become so
common in fact that many a gang member is disappointed
when the store owners do not put up any form of resistance
53
and have their opening payment sitting waiting for them threatening and nervous Civilians are far more likely to
when they first enter the establishment. exchange fire with them than a Manchine or Hominid.
It is all part of the daily grind that is Mort City living. A high percentage of gang members end their lives at the
hands of a Downtown Civilian or store owner with an itchy
“One day son, all this will be yours and when it is, it won’t trigger finger who’s been robbed just one too many times…
be long before a gang turns up to claim their share. Don’t All too often the attempted stick up results in someone
argue; it’s just a cost of doing business. Have two stacks of dying and if not the gang member, they may suddenly have a
Unis ready, though, because once the gangs have taken their problem on their hands and Shivers on their backs.
share, a second gang, the thugs in green, will be in for their Gang Bosses might come down hard on overzealous young
share. The only difference is that the Shivers won’t give you a gang members who make a habit of mugging the locals, as it
receipt for the cash.” can draw too much attention from SLA. The last thing the
Bindar Grent, retailer, Shirts and Shoes Optional. crew needs is to be the subject of a fresh BPN, or worse, a
HunterSheet.
Mugging and Theft
Loan Sharking
The second most customary crime committed by gangs is
Sometimes, you just need a little extra cash and gangs are
tried and tested mugging. The target may be a lone wanderer
all too willing to help you out, for a price. Civilians take
at night in the wrong side of the District, or a poorly
out loans and gangs charge interest and when you can’t pay
defended convenience store manned by a cashier with poor
on time, the gangs will encourage you to find their money,
reflexes.
usually with violence. Interest rates are usually set when
Theft in this particular manner is slightly more risky than a loan is taken out, but the interest can increase with late
simple extortion since there is a greater element of risk. Most payments or other excuses. There is nobody overseeing the
Downtown civilians own some form of firearm in order to local loan industry and the gangs like it that way.
protect them from any number of local threats, up to and
Being in debt to a gang is sometimes more advantageous to
including nasty little gangsters looking to steal their bi-
the gang than getting paid on time and it’s not unknown for
weekly Security Cheques. Of all the horrifying denizens
looking to do harm, teenage muggers are among the least
54
gangs to engineer circumstances that make it more difficult take it up with Mr Power Baton; see how they like that
for you to pay them in a punctual manner. mustard. But we’ll add in two unis an hour if they want to
You need to be desperate to take a loan from a gang, but do overtime. If they do a seven day work week at ten hours
SLA Industries generates desperation on industrial scales. a day, congratulations, they got their original salary back.
Everyone’s happy.
Kidnapping
The boss wants 30,000 units shifted a month and he’s going
Not a particularly common profession anymore. Downtown to want paperwork to prove you hit your target. If you don’t
Civilians tend not to have much in the way of savings or like those terms, trust me, you aren’t going to like what the
income, so the act of Kidnapping is rarely worth the risk. target goal is for the second quarter. Mr Power Baton will
The only real option is to capture the wealthy and important bring you up to speed about failing to meet that quota.
but in this too there is far too much risk, especially when the But it’s all going to work out just fine, because you’re going
target is an employee of SLA Industries. to follow the rules. Bully Beans and Sundries is going to be
Orphan and Urchin gangs still employ kidnapping tactics, an unbridled success because everyone does what they’re told.
especially when they are hard up. Orphans are driven to Sound fair?”
capture a target in order to deliver on Close of Business,
Julius ‘Gaze’ Bell, Gang Captain, ‘The Big Numbers’.
whilst Urchin gangs turn to it in order to feed drug habits
and increasing status, but these deeds rarely pan out too well
Uni Laundering
and all too often they can find themselves on the receiving
end of a BPN or HunterSheet... With all the money coming in, almost exclusively in unis,
SLA Industries wants its cut and gangs want it to look
Product Manufacture and Distribution
legitimate, which leads to their money laundering system
Some of Mort City’s gangs have loftier ambitions than that feeds the Unis through legal businesses. All the gangs
living off the meagre returns from street robberies and low that need legitimate-looking income that can be used on the
level extortion. They look more closely at the financial gains fancy trappings of Mort’s finest real estate brokers and retail
received from Downtown’s Soft Companies and aim to get establishments will go to the number crunchers and money
in on the action. movers of The Big Numbers.
Gangs like the Big Numbers will often forcibly take over Money is funnelled through legitimate businesses,
smaller Soft Companies that look as though they’re turning spending some time on its journey as credits as friendly SLA
a decent profit. It begins with warfare, as the gang takes corporates nudge it along, taking a small cut as both a vig
down the Soft Company’s defences then supplants their own and a bribe. By the time it gets back, noticeably lighter, the
Enforcers and Captains to take over the day to day running Unis are clean enough to look legitimate enough for SLA
of the factories. Industries to claim its tax, skimming from it on a larger, legal
In most instances the Soft Company is permitted to scale.
keep the brand name; not for any sympathetic reason, it Illegal Gambling
just prevents SLA Industries from charging the gang with
Corporate Crime. If SLA Operatives bust a weapons or Gambling sanctioned by SLA Industries requires permits
pharmaceuticals factory with gang members present the and these can only be issued in Mort Central, Uptown, or
Enforcers will claim they were paid to act as security and select sectors of Suburbia and Downtown District 1.
nothing more. Operating gambling of any kind without a SLA licence is
In a sense, hostile takeovers of Soft Companies is not so deemed as Corporate Crime. Illegal gambling is nonetheless
different from the typical job of extortion, with the gang rife in the Downtown Districts and the best means of under
putting the squeeze on a franchise or individual and forcing the counter income for a great many organisations and
them to pay a monthly stipend, but it is on a much grander individuals in Mort City, especially Downtown Gangs.
scale. Yet, out of all the classified Gang Activities, Illegal
Gambling is the least policed. The main reason is because
“Here’s how it’s going to go down. You keep your regular most everyone in the Downtown Districts are throwing a
wage but don’t dare try to ask the Numbers for an Ex Mass few unis into a local game, up to and including Shiver Patrols.
bonus, otherwise you’re going to be missing teeth and no, we The biggest purveyor of unsanctioned gaming is Krosstown
don’t pay for dental either. For you as floor manager it’s just Traffic, who specialise in gladiatorial style fights between
business as usual, except some of our Enforcers are going to be K’Shang Suits. Others explore pig or rat fighting (although
keeping tabs on the staff, making sure they’re not pocketting almost any aggressive Mort based type of fauna will do just
any of the merch. That’s when they meet Mr Power Baton. as well), shooting craps and the Shiver favourite of Two-up.
These bozos are going to take a thirty percent cut in salary
for the next six months. Problem with that? They can
55
Security local gang comes in, with Enforcers who have no objections
about beating a victim into a coma, removing body parts
Working as muscle or security for Soft Companies or without flinching, or just killing a stranger and disposing of
Crime syndicates tends to be the province of smaller and a body.
Urchin gangs. These organisations need more than one or
Problems arise when ambitious young gang members
two Downtown Props to protect their operation, they need
decide to moonlight and secretly take on such gigs in their
numbers so they often pay a small but respected gang to help
spare time, in the hopes the action or deed does not get back
ferry or guard goods or protect manufacturing factories.
to their superiors.
Occasionally the hiring company far exceeds the power of
The Gang Charter as a whole frowns on ‘work off the
the gang and absorbs the crew completely, turning them from
clock’ and the punishments, depending on the severity of the
young hoods into Soft Company agents. In such instances
crime, may be harsh. Gang members can easily wind up dead
the gang doesn’t put up too much of a fight because their
because their efforts to draw in a little extra cash brings a lot
numbers were always small and they weren’t having too great
of unwanted attention down on the gang, with the whole
an impact in the Gang Charter to begin with. This is how a
crew inheriting the individual’s responsibility.
great many gang Outfits gradually disappear.
They grow up and get jobs.
Coercion and Assassination
BIO CLASSIFICATION
“No, not the sausages!” GANG WARLORD
Gramble “Hench” Mentz, former Enforcer, Pig Nicks.
A Warlord is top of the pyramid of power, holding a
position even above that of Gang Boss. The rank of Warlord
These activities are commonly just a one-time gig. The
is exclusive to the very largest gangs in Mort City, also
gang is feared or brutish enough that their words and actions
known as The Big Three.
have meaning. Sometimes a person or organisation with
substantial cash in their pockets wants a rival party to shut
up, walk away or simply disappear completely. This is where a
56
GANG BOSS Equipment

PP10 Hard Armour (PV 6, Resistance 20),
As the name suggests the Gang Boss runs the operation.
Gang Colours, Stick up Revolver, Deciding
The Boss may be tough but he or she rules through
Vote Shotgun, Thug SMG, Vibrosabre, Assorted
intelligence, force of will and strength of character. The Boss
Black Market goods and Narcotics.
can find muscle anywhere, but he himself needs to be strong
and smart. It’s a tough role regardless of how coveted - an Note: The above STATS include all bonuses from Gang
enormous amount of pressure and responsibility rests on the Colours.
Boss’s shoulders. She has to protect the gang from within
and prevent dissension and apathy and also from outside the GANG SPECIAL RULES
gang.
Lore - Gang Politics: While the Streetwise skill is more
Neighbouring outfits are always looking to cause trouble
than adequate to spot gangs, figure out who’s territory
and steal away precious territory, so the gang must be
you’re in and figure out where to score some cheap soft-
properly tooled up and ready to throw down.
drugs it seldom covers the minutiae of the gangs and
The Boss also has to run the day to day operations of the the way they interact. For this the Lore: Gang Politics
gang. It is not simply a matter of standing on street corners skill is required.
looking intimidating; the crew has to run extortion and With this Lore skill not only can the character
protection rackets, trade and traffic in drugs and weaponry, recognise all the major gangs, but also the major
paying off the local Shivers, sometimes even stretching into players and up and comers in their ranks. The character
seedier angles like prostitution. will understand the recent history of the gang and any
If anything goes wrong, ultimately it falls to the Gang major events that influenced their current status.
Boss, whether it be down to losses in a turf war or Enforcers Advanced Tasks: Predict future beefs both between
turning mutinous. The Boss has to know how far to take the gangs and their internal dramas. Recognise if a gang’s
punishment for betrayal. activity level is greater or lesser than might be expected
for the time of year.
Gang Boss
STR DEX KNOW CONC
4 3 2 3
5 6 0 +6
24 2 5
Skills
Admin & Finance: 1 Athletics: 2
Bribery: 2 Demolitions: 1
Diplomacy: 1 Drive (Civilian): 2
Drive (Motorcycle): 2 Intimidate: 3
Leadership: 3 Lore (Gang Politics): 3
Lock Pick (Electronics): 1 Lock Pick (Manual) 1
Medical: 1 Melee Weapons: 3
Persuasion: 2 Pistol: 2
Rifle: 1 Sleight: 2
Stealth: 2 Streetwise: 4
Tactics: 2 Thrown: 2
Unarmed Combat: 3
57
GANG UNDERBOSS GANG CAPTAIN

This is typically a singular role within the gang. The These are technically the sergeants of the gang team.
UnderBoss is the Boss’s most trusted aide and assists in The Enforcer takes orders from and serves their assigned
the important decision making regarding the upkeep and Captain, who in turn serves the Boss. The Captains have
future plans of the gang. He or she plays an important part usually served at least a few years in service to the gang,
in negotiations with rival gangs, the reliability of current proven themselves loyal and brave in battle. Once promoted
Enforcers, the promotion of members to the coveted position to Captain they gain certain privileges denied to lower
of Captain and the state of Prospects hoping to earn their ranking members, but also shoulder greater responsibilities
colours. - they have to earn greater sums for the gang’s upkeep and
ensure their subordinates remain efficient, true and loyal.
“I don’t make the orders; I am merely a delivery truck from
the boss’s mouth to your cloth lugholes. And if he asks you to
“Looksee, you gets the boots in when he’s crying. He can’t
move creates, you move crates. If he asks you to shovel shit,
see clearly. Hey, hey, Jimmy, how dare you bleed on by boots.
you drag your finest shit shovel out and get to it, capiche?”
Marco, stop vomiting, we’re not even at the good bit yet.
Silver Astio, Gang Underboss,‘The Pocket Books’
Kids today, can’t even take the sight of blood and patella.
The UnderBoss is technically second in command, in the You sorry sack of shit, Jimmy, how am I supposed to teach
absence of the Boss all decisions and requests defer to the me boys and girls thye proper way to dispense a beating when
UnderBoss. Almost all requests of the Gang Boss must go you won’’t even take a simple meathook to the knees without
through the approval process of the UnderBoss first. turning into a blubbering mess.”
Felix “Peanuts” Arc, Gang Gaptain, ‘The Pig Nicks’.
Gang Undeross
STR DEX KNOW CONC Gang Captain
3 3 2 3 STR DEX KNOW CONC
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative 3 2 2 3
5 6 0 +6 CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Hit Points Closing Rushing 4 5 0 +5
23 2 5 Hit Points Closing Rushing
Skills 23 2 5
Athletics: 2 Bribery: 1 Skills
Demolitions: 1 Diplomacy: 1 Athletics: 2 Drive (Civilian): 2
Drive (Civilian): 2 Drive (Motorcycle): 2 Drive (Motorcycle): 2 Intimidate: 3
Intimidate: 3 Leadership: 2 Leadership: 1 Lock Pick (Electronics): 1
Lock Pick (Electronics): 1 Lock Pick (Manual) 1 Lock Pick (Manual) 1 Lore (Gang Politics):1
Lore (Gang Politics): 2 Medical: 1 Melee Weapons: 2 Persuasion: 2
Melee Weapons: 2 Persuasion: 2 Pistol: 2 Rifle: 1
Pistol: 2 Rifle: 1 Sleight: 2 Stealth: 2
Sleight: 2 Stealth: 2 Streetwise: 3 Tactics: 1
Streetwise: 3 Tactics: 1 Thrown: 1 Torture: 1
Thrown: 2 Torture: 1 Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 3
Equipment
Equipment Steelthread Suit (PV 2, Resistance 10), Gang
Body Blocker Armour (PV 4, Resistance 12), Colours, Thug SMG, MAC Knife, Assorted
Gang Colours, Thug SMG, Vibrosabre, Assorted Black Market Goods and Narcotics.
Black Market goods and Narcotics.
Note: The above STATS include all bonuses from Gang
Note: The above STATS include all bonuses from Gang Colours.
Colours.
58
GANG BLADE Equipment

PP10 Hard Armour (PV 6, Resistance 20),
The Gang Blade is the most proficient fighter and killer in
Thug SMG (4 clips) or GA50 Finisher (4
the organisation. The Blade is selected from the numerous
clips), Vibrosabre or MAC Knife.
Enforcers to take on lethal assassinations and deliver
messages because they are reliable. Blades hold revered and Ruthless: The Gang Blade thinks nothing about shooting
privileged positions within the gang often holding equal through walls, doors or people and has become proficient
position with the Advisor. at firing blindly. So long as the attack is made using a
Whilst the Tank earns the role through build and strength, ROF above 1, they suffer no penalties for being unable to
the Blade is chosen because they are skilled in killing but see. Sufficiently solid, or blood filled, obstacles may grant
also because they are naturally ruthless. They are the gang the target additional PV, but this is up to the GM.
members who have no moral reservations or feelings of Note: The above STATS include all bonuses from Gang
remorse. The Boss wants a rival dead and the Blade will Colours.
quietly perform that task, even if it means wiping out the
rival’s whole family along with them. GANG TANK
Most fellow gang members fear the resident Blade and will
take steps to avoid them whenever possible. This usually suits “Go get them Lofty, smash their fucking heads in. I’ll be ok
the Blade who tends to be a loner. on my own...”
Jeramiah Goodwink (deceased), former leader
“I’ve been running with the Pale Zeroes for 8 months and
of the Weeping Prophet Gang (disbanded).
I’ve only ever seen NiteNite maybe 4 times and I’ve only
heard him speak once in all that time. What he said was
‘Okay, sure.’
That was when our UnderBoss ‘ZipNeck’ asked him
to go take care of some business; a local pizza stall owner
threatened some of our Enforcers with a shotgun. Dude had
to learn that if you’re gonna live in Sector 7 you have to pay
your dues.
Word is NiteNite cut his head off and cooked it in his pizza
oven.”
Teena ‘Saffy’ Grimes, Human Gang
Enforcer, ‘Pale Zeroes’
Gang Blade
STR DEX KNOW CONC
3 4 1 3
2 6 0 +7
23 2 5
Skills
Athletics: 2 Climbing: 2
Drive (Civilian or
Demolitions
Motorcycle): 2
Intimidate: 3 Melee Weapons: 3
Streetwise: 2 Thrown: 2
59
The Tank is the biggest, burliest member of the gang and Skills
serves as the muscle and bodyguard to the Boss. The Tank
isn’t often particularly smart and it’s actively requested that Athletics: 3 Climbing: 1
they’re not. They are expected to swing their fists or axe at a Drive (Civilian): 2 Drive (Motorcycle): 2
moment’s notice and not ask any questions as to why. Intimidate: 4 Melee Weapons: 3
Larger gangs may have more than one Tank and the top Pistol: 2 Stealth: 1
gangs commonly assign a Tank to each team.
Streetwise: 2 Thrown: 2
Gang Tank Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3
STR DEX KNOW CONC Equipment
4 2 1 1 Body Blocker Armour (PV 4, Resistance 12), Deciding
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Vote Shotgun, Two of (Chain Axe, Clearance Baton,
3 6 0 +3 Sledgehammer, Vibrosabre), Assorted Combat Drugs.
Hit Points Closing Rushing Note: The above STATS include all bonuses from Gang
25 2 5 Colours, but not Combat Drugs.
GANG ENFORCER
Enforcers are the standard foot soldiers within the gang,
who perform the day to day routine of the organisation.
Gang Enforcers steal and mug, extort local businesses and
tenants whilst also protecting their territory from outsiders
and rival crews. Most Enforcers remain in this position for
many years, some never leaving it. All Enforcers hope to be
elevated to the role of Captain through bravery, earnings and
loyal service to the gang.
As with all hierarchies the Enforcers take orders from their
superiors but they will also tend to be the most harsh and
condescending towards the lesser Prospects who are hoping
to enter the ranks.
Once a new recruit is inducted into the gang as an
Enforcer he will have difficulty escaping. It tends to be a
lifelong affiliation; the only exit is becoming a Shiver, a SLA
Operative or joining up with an Oppressor power, such as
DarkNight. Very few Enforcers will ever escape gang life in
Mort City.
60
Gang Enforcer Past Career: Lackeys are often retired underbosses,

captains, or enforcers. They are assumed to have all the
STR DEX KNOW CONC skills of that role, although they have atrophied and are
2 3 1 2 1 rank less than normal. They can still wear gang colours,
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative but this is no longer expected.
3 4 0 +5 Pass me, that jacket: Occasionally when a Lackey returns
from retirement, they do so in a truly remarkable and
Hit Points Closing Rushing bloody fashion. In these instances, they should use the
20* 2 5 stats of their original role and the GM might choose to
up those even further.
Skills
Drive (Civilian or “Gang life is a dead end. It’s very appealing to the youth of
Athletics: 1
Motorcycle): 1 Downtown where everyone is seeking tribes to protect them
Intimidate: 2 Melee Weapons: 2 and feel part of, but you don’t hear of many gang members
retiring young. The gang is designed to exploit, digest and
destroy young lives and very few get to escape it, fewer still
Streetwise: 2 Thrown: 2 want to escape as the gangs will provide a disenfranchised
Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2 young kid with a stable family and prospects they could never
dream of.
Equipment
Gang life is a dream to many, and we know what happens
SteelThread Suit (PV 2, Resistance 10) or CAL to dreams in Downtown.”
Padquil Flak vest (PV 2, Resistance 8), Gang - Analyst Fan Mashi, Threat Analysis - Gangs
Colours, Nipper Pistol (2 clips), Knife.
Note: The above STATS include the bonuses from Gang GANG HOOD
Colours. But when an Enforcer is reduced to 5 Hit Points
or less they will usually seek to get medical attention Gangs Hoods, or Little Hoods, are the youngest additions
rather than stay in the fight. to the Gang hierarchy, made up of kids and uninitiated family
members who still wish to run with the gang. Although
GANG LACKEYS considered part of the crew and technically designated
Not all roles in the gangs are active in the day to day criminal Prospects, Hoods hold an honorary position within the
activities; someone has to count the money and make sure gang. They aren’t held as accountable as a Prospect (although
everyone gets paid. This job falls to skilled administrators or they’ll likely receive a clip around the ear for their insolence),
retired family members who can’t bring in a monthly tithe nor are they given any particularly important duties, but they
any more. These lackeys hold different amounts of respect are given junior tags and colours, within which they have
and power, depending on which gang they’re in. their own adolescent Captain.
Shiver Patrols harbour a deep seated hatred for Hoods,
Gang Lackey who habitually deface their vehicles and are not adverse to
STR DEX KNOW CONC chucking water bombs filled with urine at the troops. They
refer to them as Urchins, Scum and ‘Downtown Runts’.
2 2 2 2
Gangs are very protective of their younger initiates and a
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Shiver could be looking at real trouble if a local Hood is
2 2 0 +5 seriously injured or even killed and there will always be
Hit Points Closing Rushing repercussions for such an act.
15 2 5 Hoods can be every bit as obnoxious, aggressive and
threatening as their elders, sometimes even more so since
Skills they feel that they have more to prove. These are children
Admin & Finance: 1 Diplomacy: 2 raised in dysfunctional households and harsh Downtown
streets.
Drive (Civilian): 1 Leadership: 1
Shivers of course may elect to ignore the warnings set forth
Lore (Gang Politics):1 Streetwise: 2 from the gang and fully engage in a full scale skirmish; it is
Equipment all about who knows when to back down first.
Nipper Pistol (1 clip), A storage box with
all their tools from “back in the day”.
61
Gang Hood Gang Prospect

STR DEX KNOW CONC STR DEX KNOW CONC
1 2 1 2 2 2 1 2
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
2 2 0 +4 1 1 0 +4
Hit Points Closing Rushing Hit Points Closing Rushing
9 2 5 10 2 5
Skills
Skills
Athletics: 2 Melee Weapons: 1
Drive (Civilian or
Stealth: 2 Streetwise: 1 Athletics: 1
Motorcycle): 1
Thrown: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1 Intimidate: 1 Melee Weapons: 2
Equipment Pistol: 1 Stealth: 2
Knife, Pack of Water Balloons, Spray paint. Streetwise: 1 Thrown: 1
Unarmed Combat: 2
Just a Kid: All but the most hardened of Ops will pause
when it comes to harming children. Attacks against Equipment
Hoods are made with a -2 penalty. Blades are immune CAL Padquil Flak vest (PV 2, Resistance 8),
to this. Nipper Pistol (1 clip), Gang Colours, Knife,
Kids Colours: While not granted the same respect as full Spraypaint, Snacks, beers and other evidence
members, when a Hood wears Gang Colours it grants of their submissive position in the gang.
them +1 COOL. This is included above.
Not Yet In: Prospects gain no benefit from Gang Colours
GANG PROSPECT and will be beaten for trying to wear them.
“ You think it’s tough serving as a BridgeHead Shiver in THE GANG CHARTER
the Sector? That ain’t nothing on a Gang Prospect. Now
that’s a shitty life I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy and I
got a lot of those.”
THE BIG NUMBERS
- Shiver Private Aldor, BridgeHead Echo Beach. Threat Analysis describes The Big Numbers as ‘the face
of modern gangs in Mort City’. Widely believed to be the
The Prospect is usually a teenage Downtown civilian who has largest gang in Downtown with chapters spread across
aspirations of joining the local gang. A Prospective member multiple Districts, even reaching as high up as Suburbia
of the gang is immediately looking at potentially years of wherein the bored, disaffected youths are drawn in by the
scorn, toil and misery. The bigger and more established the Numbers’ unique stylings and ethos.
gang, the longer it takes to earn colours. Less than half of The Big Numbers are deeply influenced by SLA Industries,
Prospects are inducted into the gang, as most can’t take the particularly the highly privileged and wealthy Corporate
endless labour and abuse. A certain percentage die through Sector and live on a diet of fashion magazines, designer
service or as a result of failing the gang initiation. clothes, weapons and copious amounts of High End and
Initiation differs from gang to gang, but some can be Eight-Oh music.
especially brutal and the resident Enforcers have the hideous The Big Numbers have also earned themselves the
scars to prove it. nickname of ‘Baby SLA’ as their obsession with the company
You have to be desperate, crazy or utterly determined to runs so deep.
join a Mort City gang. The gang is in essence something of a cargo cult for
Prospects cannot wear the exact uniform or outfits deemed SLA. They dress in suits and DNA Hallmark their faces
the gang standard; that only comes with full induction. New with the Slayer skull patterning of the company’s insignia.
prospects are given a ‘reduced version’ in most cases and The Big Numbers visage is both immediate and striking.
gangs which have extensive DNA hallmarking will supply Style, appearance and hygiene are paramount among their
the hopeful with a mask resembling their standard look. members and they will spend way above the average on
designer clothing and beauty/care products.
62
At first, Shivers and other gangs scoffed at The Big headlined on 3rd Eye News and a White BPN was drawn
Numbers, until they realised how serious the growing up to locate him.
organisation was. They didn’t arm themselves with relatively Helvan reappeared 21 days later, unharmed and safe, albeit
weak CAF weaponry; they were tooling up with expensive slightly bewildered. It turned out that Sebastian Heywood
Soft Company weapons and custom built SteelThread had Alvand kidnapped so he could create a one of a kind
armoured Suits. When asked why they wouldn’t opt for waistcoat. Helvan would be given everything required to
DarkNight arms the Numbers professed that they wouldn’t create the unique garment, whatever he asked for The Big
insult SLA so deeply as to protect themselves with their Numbers would procure on his behalf. The initial plan was
main company rival’s manufacture. to hold Alvand for 7-10 days but Sebastian felt he was
The Big Numbers gang boss is a young man called underperforming and rejected the first eight samples. At
Sebastian Heywood, who created the entire culture and first Alvand was infuriated by the young man’s demands but
mission statement for the organisation. Despite being only gradually came around to the criticism.
24 years old he has achieved more than most fully trained Alvand was astounded by the dedication of the gang to
Operatives have by the time they reach SCL 7. Despite build the item. They shipped in New Parisian silk at 5,000
his enormous admiration for SLA Industries he has never unis per square foot, Skendish tweed fabric direct from
attempted to join the company. (And it’s widely believed Alvand’s hometown, even Mald’s finest thread was delivered.
that SLA recruiters would sign Heywood in a heartbeat),
Once the garment was complete and finally approved,
he seems more interested in being his own Mr Slayer and
Alvand himself considered it some of his best work and
generating his own microcosm of the company itself.
asked Sebastian if he would like to come and work at Alvand
Stories abound concerning Sebastian and The Big Numbers, Formal, but by that point Heywood had grown distant and
although one of the most famous was the kidnapping of was more interested in the completed waistcoat than any
renown fashion designer Helvan Aland. offers of employment. He asked several of his fellow gang
Aland is of Aland Formal - one of the most well received members to ferry Alvand to the gates of the Perimeter Wall,
and respected clothes brands to emerge from Skend. In along with 100,000 unis by means of apology and thank you.
912sd Helvan disappeared from a Gauss Train platform Unlike many of the largest gangs in Downtown, the Big
in Suburbia and was declared missing for three weeks. It Numbers tend to avoid a lot of the territorial feuds and
63
bickering common to the environment, preferring to focus The current boss is Alice Brody, having assumed the mantle
their attention on accruing wealth and building industry. of Gang Boss after the untimely death of Brent Hurrell, in
The times that Big Numbers do take on rivals however, is 908sd.
when they need to expand their areas of influence. If a Soft Krosstown Traffic also makes income in unlicensed
Company they wish to purchase exists in rival gang territory gladiatorial K’Shang pit fights not dissimilar to the big
they will typically bring it up during a 13th Meeting and sports events in the Contract Circuits. Smaller rival K’Shang
offer a lump sum for the gang to withdraw from the region. gangs will bring their champion pilots to take on the resident
If that proves unsuccessful, the Big Numbers will go to war. Traffic fighters in Heartland every Saturday night. The local
In their own words, it’s their personal 3 Ps Contract. Shiver Patrols would step in and clamp down on these illegal
Most gangs fear the Big Numbers, they’re just too close fights but they’re far too busy placing bets themselves.
to a Downtown SLA Industries for anyone’s comfort. The
primary rival gang is the Pig Nicks, who consider the Big “ You look at all these new gangs and it’s a real horror show
Numbers a bunch of posers; yuppie wannabes who are too nowadays. I mean, when did all Downtown crews start
afraid to get their hands dirty. This has largely been proven dressing like Serial Killers? I go to the weekly gathering and
not to be true; the Big Numbers take very much after their I feel like I’m at a fancy dress party, where’s the lemonade
dream parent company and will commit brutal acts and and cake, you guys?
punishments to further their own ends. Still, if fear’s what they’re going for I guess it’s working but
that ain’t for us Krosstown Traffickers - we ain’t asking for
“Come on, ease up. It’s Saturday!” trouble. We’re just Downtown folks looking to get by.
“There is no Saturday; there are only Mondays.” Sure, we probably look a bit Niner now; a bit old fashioned.
Overheard discussion between a Big We ain’t the kids no more, but I really think we’ll outlive the
Numbers Prospect and Enforcer. Big Numbers and the Pig Nicks.
We aren’t aiming to be more than what we are. We aren’t
looking to be more than Downtown.”
KROSSTOWN TRAFFIC
Alice Brody, Human Gang Boss, ‘Krosstown Traffic’.
KrossTown Traffic are one of Mort City’s oldest surviving
street gangs. The KT have existed in Downtown since
around 860sd going through a litany of gang bosses and
THE CHILLERS
directions since its inception. They are based out of a Sector
on the District 1/ Downtown Crust known as Heartland. “We all know it’s the Chillers behind the Virtue Squad
In previous decades they focussed primarily on vehicles slayings; it’s like the worst kept secret in Downtown. Thing
and in the Era of Progress their chosen mode of transport is, SLA can’t prove it in any official capacity, so they haven’t
was bikes, but in the present day they have turned their gone after those Wraithen kids. Not yet, anyway.
attention almost exclusively toward K’Shangs. They tend to It gets you thinking though… SLA typically comes down
avoid some of the seedier aspects of gang earnings like drug hard on pretty much anyone even appearing to challenge
dealing and protection rackets. Instead much of their income them. Me, I reckon if the Chillers had targeted some other
comes from a chain of K’Shang manufacture and auto repair SLA faction it’d have been a different story.
garages. They are likely closer to a Soft Company than a Everyone hates the Virtue Squads and by that I mean
gang organisation but since the camera likes the photogenic literally everyone. The Gangs, the Props, the Civis, especially
KTers and they have good TV ratings, SLA tends to turn a the Shivers. We all want ‘em dead. But the Wraithen though,
blind eye on Krosstown Traffic (also a good number of their they’ve got more reason to take a scalpel to them. They took
ranks become SLA Ops - KT being one of the few gangs to the most licks from the Seraphim.
allow departures and retirement).
Now it’s payback time.”
Krosstown Traffic’s somewhat relaxed attitude towards
Jimmie ‘Shoeshine’ Kramer, Human
time honoured traditions of gang life polarises public
Gang Enforcer, ‘Pipe Babies’.
opinion. The Pig Nicks in particular take exception to their
easygoing approach and are considered their main rivals. The The Chillers are a young gang who are actively retaliating
general consensus is KT is the gang most kids want to join, against encroaching Virtue Squads patrolling Inner
as it plays fair and has the lowest mortality rate. Downtown. They’ve been known to skin Seraphim soldiers
Krosstown is also slightly revered by many of the newer alive and leave their corpses hanging from street lights for
gangs - it’s the only one of the old gangs that survived The the Shivers to find.
Changes and they are as much as much a part of the lifeblood The Chillers are exclusively Wraithen members. Instantly
of Mort City as Shivers, Props and Dave Beer; Mort just recognisable for their white winter fur which they
wouldn’t be the same without them.
64
intentionally trigger by residing in artificially sub zero The youths in Sector 7 as a whole represent nothing more
temperatures. They always wear buttoned up red coolant than a collection of pasty, pale-faced yobs who present zero
coats and carry curved blades similar to a linoleum knife. value to their neighbourhood and to our beloved company.
Most other gangs avoid them at all costs, such is their They are destined to become criminals, drug addicts and
brutal reputation. rapists. And thus, our duty is clear. We must clean up these
None of the Chillers have ever visited Polo, or any of the streets at any cost even if it results in the deaths of many who
other Ice Worlds, much to their regret. The best they can resist our help.”
do is collect items or photographs from a home they never Mrs Agnes Dowr, Naga 7 Division, 7th Head
knew and conjure their own interpretation. This sense of
yearning and nostalgia is very uncommon for Wraithen Moral Right’s attempts to rehabilitate Klick’s End resulted
as a whole, who are generally apathetic to any aspect of in a much greater attack on the entirety of Sector 7. It was
origin or ancestry. Even the gang’s rage towards bigotry and the first region of Inner Downtown to face the introduction
oppression imposed by the Virtue Squads is at odds with of Workhouses and a series of subsidiary health risk chemical
their mindset as a species. plants were installed. The parents of the Pale Zeroes had
That said it is important to remember that Chillers have their unemployment benefits cut entirely and were forced to
been raised in Downtown, around a much wider cross take low paying jobs in these factories.
section of species population. In this regard, they are more As is so often the case with Moral Right intervention
socially advanced than their Polo born relatives. However, they did nothing but make the lives and social environment
the Chillers are a true product of their environment, which of Sector 7 much worse. Employees at Fennar Chemicals
is unfortunately low down in the Downtown Districts worked excessive hours which lead to broken homes,
where life grows increasingly more hostile. The result is a domestic violence and a surge in drug use, as the wage slaves
gang which is intensely hostile towards outsiders, especially struggled to perform in the roles.
Humans. It is not a modest claim to suggest the Chillers are Addiction to performance enhancing narcotics persisted
the most aggressively territorial gang in Mort City. by generations, with many young people following their
Being exclusionary to Wraithen only, the Chillers numbers parents’ behaviour, with even more facing the effects of drug
are relatively small in comparison to other notable gangs. abuse during pregnancy.
Their primary motive for existence is revenge and retaliation The disaffected children of Sector 7 would only inherit this
and as a new Outfit they are still finding their way as an addiction from their elders, but in terms of career they would
expanding gang. At present they are still operating on the not follow in their footsteps. They would not go to work in
basic criminal activities, muggings and shakedowns. the factories; they would create their own.
Gradually, The Pale Zeroes came into being. It began
THE PALE ZEROES with robbing adults of their narcotics for personal use, then
became drugs manufacturing and peddling. The Zeroes took
“Welcome to the Pale Zeroes. Enjoy the trip.” to the street corners and sold their goods at cut prices and cut
Alphonso Baird, Captain, ‘Pale Zeros’. product. The needy Civilians were buying affordable drugs,
but they had no idea what was actually in their daily dose.
The socio-economics of Downtown create gangs and the Gang Hoods are usually tasked with the daily dose of selling
darker, more hostile the environment the more likely said all manner of street level narcotics to desperate addicts, with
gang will be as vicious and horrific as the streets it inhabits. an Enforcer overseer watching proceedings from above.
No truer statement could be said of The Pale Zeroes.
The Pale Zeroes themselves are heavily into drug use
The gang’s latest incarnation has existed for around four and they regularly pour hallucinogenic liquid into their
years, but similar groups of its kind have been around for respirators, leaving their enforcers in a state of perpetual
centuries. A notable feature of the Pale Zeroes is they are violent euphoria. Their troops will also favour the best combat
positioned uncomfortably close to the notorious Klick’s End, drugs money can buy to enhance their physical capabilities.
which has been fighting the Mortal Right Division for a
The Pale Zeroes have a large membership, commandeering
number of years. The actual name ‘Pale Zeroes’ is based on a
the majority of Sector 7 but because of their perpetual drug
dismissive quote made by the Division’s departmental head.
use the mortality rate for the outfit is naturally high. The
Pale Zeroes are quite low in Inner Downtown and wear
“District 4, Sector 7, remains a blight on the moral fabric
trademark respirators and armoured vests.
of Mort. Klick’s End, as it is referred and the surrounding
areas, are nothing more than a shoddy collection of work In more recent times, the gang has developed strong
idle, drunken layabouts who would rather brawl amongst connections with Stirg Pharmaceuticals, a rival company
themselves than contribute to society in any meaningful way. who specialise in highly sought after competitor products,
like the controversial ‘Reathonal’ drug. The Pale Zeroes
65
are growing in power through acting as security for this This was meant to be the end of the Pig Nicks but they had
enigmatic company, but other gangs are dismissive of the too tight a grip on the Downtown Crust streets and the gang
outfit. maintains them to this day.
The Pig Nicks are considered one of the biggest gang
“The Pale Zeroes - great style. Really iconic, but those drugs, organisations on the Crust, although in 915sd the gang is
man. It was drugs that made ‘em and it’ll break ‘em in the mostly made of the descendants of the original membership.
end. I mean, how can you make rational business decisions They are rivals with Krosstown Traffic because the Traffic
when you’re high on Blue Heat? These guys also shoot up a just slightly exceeds them in numbers. The youths now
ton of combat drugs which makes them proper scary in a entering the Pig Nicks have never worked the abattoirs
fight, but their brains are mush. but nonetheless come from hardy stock and regardless of
The boss is still trying to figure out how to deal with these their lineage they still have to go through a rigorous and
junkies and the best bet I reckon is to just keep ‘em at arms merciless series of initiations before they’re accepted into the
length, don’t fuck with them and let the shit in their veins organisation.
and lungs decide their fate.” It is much harder to get acceptance in the Pig Nicks in
Timo ‘Veev’ Fischer, Human Gang comparison to other Downtown gangs and every civilian
Enforcer ‘Stick Up Kids’. hopeful has to spend a considerable amount of time serving
the gang as a Prospect.
THE PIG NICKS Today, the gang is run by Al “Jr” Crawley, typically just
referred to as ‘Junior’. To this day, the gang still wears the
“The way I heard it, the Carnivorous Pig problem started trademark balaclava, only in more recent years the face
with the Crawley family breeding bigger and bigger pigs covering sports a sewn on pig snout patch.
and some of them escaped into the sewers when they got too
unruly. Sounds like bollocks to me, but that’s how these things CREEPY CRAWLIES
usually happen, right?” Threat Analysis has classed the ‘Creepy Crawlies’ as a new
Fidge Destri, Unemployed Downtown Civilian. gang, but they may in fact predate almost all the modern
gangs in Mort City since the Outfit is based in the very
This gang is representative of the recession in Inner depths of Lower Downtown, where few Operatives or
Downtown. Years ago a meat packing industry on The Crust Shivers venture.
- Crawley’s Slaughterers - comprised of ugly factories that The gang is composed primarily of Titters, to the extent
belched clouds into the atmosphere around Downtown, that Gang Boss herself is a Dream Entity Master - Jenny
as countless Carnivorous Pigs got turned into sausage DeepPockets, who has evolved from a Titter. The Gang is
meat. The Crawley family business had been in operation based in a Sector in Lower Downtown called The Mire.
since 345sd, but in 905sd their chain of abattoirs went into Much of the electricity in the region has been cut off so it is
receivership. The last in a long line of Slaughterers - Nick gloomy, dark and extremely dangerous.
Crawley was not going to take it lying down. He set up a
gang known as the Pig Nicks, made up of ex staffers from The Creepy Crawlies are a true outlier gang, standing at
the slaughterhouse days. They donned balaclavas and striker odds with every conventional norm - they do not attend
vests and began mugging SLA employees, holding up corner 13th Meetings and are habitually given a wide berth by every
stores and ambushing halted traffic. Money was their only other gang in Mort City. Even the Pale Zeroes purposefully
motive, but they had numerous run-ins with rival gangs in avoid them and for good reason; the Creepy Crawlies are a
their Sectors. borderline Cognate and they know it.
The Pig Nicks were not to be messed with; all their The gang lives in the Mire but most of their activity takes
members had worked their whole lives in labour intensive place outside of the Sector as droves of malignant titters and
jobs and were uncommonly tough and strong in comparison other assorted Dream Entities scour the upper Districts on
to regular civilians. After having spent years immersed in pig foraging missions.
blood and offal they weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. Jenny DeepPockets gains her name from her obsessive
The Pig Nicks were also experts in the use of hand weapons, hoarding tendencies. Like all Masters she is deeply inquisitive
particularly meat cleavers. and she sends out her Crawlies to ransack Downtown
The SLA Operative Squad - Boss Man’s Wrath took on apartments and convenience stores for ‘objects of interest’
a HunterSheet for Nick Crawley and finally cashed in his which they return for her to stockpile and categorise in
credits in late 908sd. her extensive shambolic lair - a disused subway station that
hasn’t been in operation in decades (if it was ever used at all).
Toys, snow globes, candy bars, Carrien teeth and dead cats
are all laid before Jenny for assessment and sorting. Never
66
bring the same object twice and never under deliver as Jenny The first incarnation of the Jack O’Lantern gang was
DeepPockets will know and she’s always hungry to fill her catalogued in 897sd. and consisted of orphans whose parents
belly with Titters who can’t follow a few simple rules… had been slain by a new serial killer called Halloween Jack.
When the Creepy Crawlies are on the hunt, lots of SLA Industries authorities did little to aid or protect these
Downtown Civilians die as they go about their merciless children and they were left to fend for themselves. Eventually
pillaging, but there are worse ends to be had. Every month they banded together and commenced street muggings to
Jenny sends out her best Crawlies to capture and drag back support themselves.
live victims. Their crimes culminated in the murder of a Shiver
Much like the Masters out in CS1 Jenny goes about the Patrolman. They were still very young when this incident
study and torture of her captives in the presence of a clutch occurred and Shivers were still perceived as a considerable
of Dream Sacs. She is creating her own brand of Dream threat, yet they had killed one. The gang of children began
Entity Screamers which acts as her personal guard and she is believing that they had a spiritual connection to Halloween
always looking to improve on her lair defences. Jack and he had imbued them with physical powers
comparable to his own.
In reality, there is likely more than one Dream Entity gang
in Lower Downtown, especially in the deeper levels. This was where the obsession with their erstwhile father
figure began and the band of ruffians took on the title
THE JACK O’LANTERNS ‘Jack’s Kids’. They were only aged between 8 - 12 years old
when they established themselves in the Charter, but their
numbers were swelling as Halloween Jack rampaged across
“Sheesh, this gang’s a weird one. I’m not even sure if they
Downtown. From this time onwards they swifty garnered a
are actually a street gang? They’re more like a Cognate,
reputation for ruthlessness, but this was to be expected when
or Cult, maybe? To be honest, I don’t know why The Big
their aspirational icon was the worst serial killer Mort City
Three keeps them on the Charter; they’re a bunch of fucking
had ever encountered.
animals. But, I guess that all may come from fear - like, you
really, really don’t want the Jack O’ Lanterns as your enemy.” As the years passed, the children grew into young adults and
they gradually shelved the ‘Jack’s Kid’ name, replacing it with
Jimmie ‘Shoeshine’ Kramer, Human
the Jack O’Lanterns. Now they entered the era known as The
Gang Enforcer, ‘Pipe Babies’.
67
Changes, the Jack O’Lanterns have doubled down on their The reasoning for these strict rulings is the parent outfit
fixation with Halloween Jack, insisting all their members get doesn’t want the Orphan crew getting too big and established.
DNA Hallmarks resembling that of Jack’s signature helmet; If certain members of the Orphan gang show exceptional
their heads stained orange, eyes and noses blacked out and talent or promise they are usually removed and migrated into
lines striping their faces. the main gang on the original turf.
If there is one thing that hasn’t changed it is their means The Orphan gang has to send representatives to the
of income - street mugging and robbery. That said, the scale Friday meet and also to courier their monetary kick back
of their operations has increased considerably, targeting to the parent gang. They do not however sit in on the End
convenience stores, cars stopped at traffic lights, even banks of Business meeting as that’s exclusive to the true Gang
and Soft Company hideouts. Warlords, Bosses and their protection.
All Jack O’Lanterns worship their father and think that he The delegates turn up early, pass over the earnings and then
rewards their viciousness and bravery with magical powers, sit in the designated bar or club until the grown ups conclude
believing themselves to be invincible in combat. They also their business and then whatever information needed for the
fixedly believe that they can consume the souls of their coming week is relayed to them and back home they go.
victims, so attacks on their mugging victims typically results If it’s the end of the month and they paid the parents a
in brutal murder. higher percentage than was expected they may get to spend
Naturally, every other gang in Mort City is quite right in the night at the meet up, drinking, partying and generally
believing the Jack O’Lanterns to be utterly insane, but as having a good time in a neutral environment, along with
long as they stick to their turf and don’t throw down at the gang members from all over Mort City.
End of Business, they can hold their seat on the Charter. But, no matter the wild revelry the Orphans especially have
The Jack O’Lanterns have the rare honour of holding to behave themselves and not get so drunk or high that they
territories on District 1, the Downtown Crust, in the get into blows with known rivals. If they do, they could end
wide and expansive Sectors 2 and 3; the original hunting up being on trial at the next End of Business Friday…
grounds of Halloween Jack himself. The extent of the Jack
O’Lanterns’ crimes (and murders) throughout the years has URCHIN GANGS
guaranteed that they rank high on SLA Industres’ wanted
list and Shivers and Ops are legally required to either arrest The bottom rung in the Gang Charter. Urchin gangs
or kill them on sight. Shiver patrols, however, usually turn a are unproven and largely disregarded by every established
blind eye to the presence and activities of the Jacks in their outfit in Mort City. They are crippled by crushing poverty
Sector. Taking on such a large and imposing gang, one that and commonly based in Lower Downtown. Urchins are
is so heavily inspired to end lives, dissuades most Patrolmen never invited to the meeting held on the 13th and are not
who are simply looking to get to their next paycheck without considered for Orphan status until they can prove themselves
getting their heads chopped off. in some meaningful way.
The Jack O’Lanterns run a small sideline in Protection Urchin gangs fade in and out of existence on a continual
Racketeering, typically based around food stores and basis. Either they simply break apart owing to inactivity, or
liquor shops, but this is mostly so they can feed and sustain they are destroyed by any number of potential opponents:
themselves. The poor harried store owner has to pay the Jacks Shiver Patrols, other more powerful gangs looking to steal
a monthly stipend to not rob him and give over a percentage away territory, or Operatives fulfilling a BPN. Urchin gangs
of his supply stock for free whenever they need it. can also find their hideouts set upon by Carrien, a prowling
Manchine or even the Shi’An cult on the hunt for fresh
When the Jacks prowl the streets they tend to wear hoods
blood or new unwilling recruits.
and conceal their identities as best they can, until they are
ready to accost an unwitting victim. When they are planning There is a high degree of immaturity among Urchin gangs;
a raid or turf war, the hoods come off and the tattooed heads taking unnecessary risks like attacking powerful foes to
are on full display. impress established crews, boasting about their successes
to the wrong people or simply making baseless claims that
ORPHAN TEAMS lands them in trouble with other gangs.
Larger gangs have what’s called Orphan Chapter outfits “It’s a shame about Little Ray. He’d just turned 18 and
throughout Mort City, semi-official chapters of the main was in with the KayZees for about a month. They ain’t
gang. Such gangs have a stripped down hierarchy and they nothin’ yet, just a crew of 12 Urchins, but they want in on
cannot have a Gang Boss, the highest position one can attain the Charter bad. That ain’t gonna happen for a while. Thing
in an Orphan Gang is UnderBoss and depending on the is, Little Ray likes to drink most nights and once he’s had a
size, up to a maximum of three Captains. few Daves he gets a real big mouth.
68
Little Ray starts claiming he’s the KayZee’s Blade. Yeah, a mile south catches wind of this and instantly thinks ‘oh
I know, it’s fucking ridiculous. They’re an Urchin gang and shit, they’re going to gun for us’ and they strike up a deal
bragging over nothing is just what these kids do, but it with another Prop and I guarantee you it’s a rival to the
starts getting serious when Little Ray said he could slice up first Prop.
the Blade of any other crew in the region. It ain’t no thing This is when things get real ugly and it only escalates from
though until he actually called out NiteNite - the Blade for here.
the local Pale Zeroes outfit.
You have to break ‘em up and sure, your Patrol’s going to
It’s only a Pale Zero Orphan crew, but they got their shit be unpopular for a few weeks but the alternative is so, so
together and NiteNite is not a guy you challenge lightly. The much worse.
KayZees have suddenly got a problem on their hands and
That’s my advice: don’t let those Props get too cosy with your
this goes all the way to The Big Three and the word comes
local street gang.”
down that Little Ray has to fight NiteNite.
Shiver Lieutenant Carlisle, Patrol Group ‘Coin Toss’.
No way out of it.
See, this is how it is. You give it the big talk and you
have to back it up in the gangs. The Pale Zeroes demanded THE CODE
satisfaction; they couldn’t afford to let that shit go. I mean
what will they look like to the other crews? Lettin’ some In order for the Gang Charter to work, there have to be
pissant Urchin team cuss you out. They had to get it on. rules that everyone follows. Unfortunately the daily recourse
Now Little Ray is feeding the sewer pigs and the KayZees and weekly meetings are centred on Outfits or individuals
are looking worse than they ever have. All because some not following the rules or obnoxiously creating their own.
dumb kid liked to drink too much and run his mouth off.”
Jules ‘Cat’ Everton, Human Gang “It’s okay for you as an Operative to diss the gangs and
Captain, ‘Pipe Babies’. our buncha rules. Yeah, if the rules worked, why are there
all the battles over turf ? Well, why is there any street crime
when the Shivers patrol Downtown? Why are there Slops
HIRED PROPS and Corps in Fallgate Prison, huh?
Gangs with substantial revenue may sometimes hire People don’t always do what’s best for ‘em. Sometimes, that
Downtown Props as added muscle for certain turf wars. little bit extra in life is worth the risk.”
In reality Gangs are moreso hiring their weapons and Danny ‘Peeps’ Wilkins, Human
equipment than anything else. Gang Prospect, ‘Five Pigs’.
Some Props, seeing a good thing, will work to get
themselves put on a retainer with the top gangs, although The rules of the Gang Charter, referred to as The Code,
this rather bold move instigated by both parties can land are always in a state of flux, with various edicts being added
them in hot water with SLA, especially if the Gang puts and withdrawn on a regular basis and it’s a struggle for most
more than one Prop on the payroll. Outfits to work within the ever changing laws and not get
in trouble.
Shiver patrols get nervous when they see Gangs and Props
openly displaying alliance because it can often mean the The Gang Charter and the resulting Big Three is relatively
start of ongoing violence in their Sector and they will take new within The Changes and the leadership is still ironing
steps to break them up before things get out of hand. out the creases of what is and what is not permissible.
The Props that gangs hire tend to be the more heavy To the outsider these current rulings are unreasonably
duty mercenaries, fully decked out in powered armour and harsh, where even the merest slight may result in bloodshed
sporting larger scale weapons; firearms that are several steps or death. It is a Downtown culture unbeknownst to most
above what their gang members are typically armed with. and must be learned and remembered very quickly if one is
entering into a local Outfit.
“ You’ll be ‘trolling down the street in the Shiver APC and
then you see ‘em. Parked outside some dive bar. 6 or so Gang STICK TO YOUR OWN TERRITORY.
Enforcers and a whopping great Prop dressed in Powercell
The most obvious rule comes first. Mid level Gangs typically
and cradling a KPS Mangler. You know, just hanging out,
operate out of just one Sector, at their smallest they just rule
no problem or nothin…
over one apartment block or street. The only way they can
Yeah, sure, baby. expand their territory is either dismantling or absorbing the
24 hours on and we’ll be mopping bodies off the Sector resident rival gang.
streets, because you see once one of these Gangs chucks Unis
at a Downtown Prop the word spreads fast. The next Gang
69
challenge, whether the youngster meant it or not. The

ONCE YOU’RE IN, YOU’RE IN FOR LIFE. challenge is then taken before The Big Three, they decide
Whether you choose to join a gang or are simply forced how to proceed with the claim, but it is almost a complete
into it, the commitment is for life. Most gangs in 915sd certainty the braggadocious individual will have to fight the
will kill gang members who attempt to leave. There are of rival, even if it’s a clearly unmatched duel.
course deserters but those who try to flee have to travel a
considerable distance to be truly free and this often means NO ONE GANG RULES. THE COUNCIL
journeying into enemy territory. Even though they have IS EVERYTHING. LAW OF THREE.
likely stripped themselves of gang tags and colours the other
gangs will be on the lookout for ‘new faces’ in their turf and Occasionally Downtown gangs must convene to discuss
those who are caught face three inevitable outcomes: they disputes, potential negotiations and trade information. In
are killed on sight, they are captured and ransomed back to 915sd the Gang Bosses meet in an ever-changing location
their original crew or they are lucky enough to be brought and can only gather once a month and always on the 13th.
into the new gang, albeit at the ground level. The latter Gangs can only bring up to 5 members (this usually includes
outcome usually only occurs if the gang sees true potential the gang Tank - the only member allowed to stand guard
in the new prospect. over the boss in the actual location).
There is no one singular gang that rules over Downtown.
COLOURS STAY ON, This is called The Big Three and the trio are currently the
ESPECIALLY IN COMBAT. largest, most powerful gangs ruling over everyone else. The
Big Three have final say over every decision regarding gang
Gang members are expected to wear their colours (i.e. culture and politics and within the trio enacted laws must
uniform) at all times. It goes beyond presenting a united have a majority vote.
front; as long as they are brandishing the colours during If a smaller gang has a request or grievance they have to
injury or death the fellow gang members can seek reprisals. bring it before The Big Three. If this petition involves a
If they are somehow persuaded to remove their tags or capital punishment, all three elect must agree or the request
outfit, they have no more privileges or remuneration than an is thrown out. A rejected plea of this kind may have a
average citizen. disastrous effect on the petitioning gang and they may find
themselves under threat of execution.
KILLING A BOSS IS THE The present Big Three comprises of The Big Numbers,
WORST TREASON. Krosstown Traffic and the Pig Nicks.
The Big Three is the primary system for dealing with inter-
Gangs in Mort City take the crime of betrayal very
gang politics and disputes. Outside of that, each gang has
seriously. Their approach to leadership and instruction is not
their own rules, left very much to their own discretion.
so different from the SLA Military; you follow the orders of
your superior officer to the letter, even if you disagree with
them on principle.
NEVER SNITCH.
On occasion the gang will team up and overthrow their For gangs to gossip, confer over data, spread rumours or
boss if they feel the leader is genuinely not up to the task and even trade insults, they must do so at a 13th Meeting. The
may be putting their lives at risk. This happens very rarely term Never Snitch means do not inform, but most important
because even if their concerns are justified, other local gangs do not become a Shiver or Operative informant.
will frown upon such treason and elect to wipe the mutinous If you’re discovered as being a loathsome rat for SLA
gang out of existence. Industries or any Oppressor Power it merits an instant death
In most circumstances a disgruntled gang will have to wait sentence.
until the impetuous Gang Boss ends his own life in a turf Gang members caught talking to a Mummer - the gang
war wherein a cooler, smarter head may prevail and assume term for an undercover SLA Operative or Shiver, may get
the mantle of Boss. some leeway, but outright snitching will be punished in the
harshest manner.
ONCE SPOKE, IT’S HEARD.
This odd phrase pertains to loose talk and bold claims.
CROSSING THE LINE.
Young and inexperienced gang members have a tendency Gangs have territories and they dare not leave them unless
to run their mouths off about rival crews and it is mostly they’re going to war with a rival. If gangs cross into rival
overlooked right up until they actually name an individual. territories then all bets are off and The Law Of Three does
From that moment on it is ‘heard’. Being ‘heard’ is in not apply. The only party with any rights in the issue is the
reference to an outside party and this is accepted as a
70
gang presiding in that Sector, as long as they’re still victors or blackmarket goods, executing extortion rackets, guarding
by the next 13th Meeting. gang territory or going to war.
Those who are bad with their timekeeping can find
GANG ABOVE EVERYTHING, themselves facing punishment in the form of Clipping.
EVEN FAMILY.
CLIPPING.
Once you are accepted into a Downtown Gang all other
daily responsibilities cease for the most part; your loyalty is Originally this term was meant to suggest a ‘clip round the
given entirely to your Gang Boss and the organisation. The ear’ but as gangs got meaner the form of punishment means
only time this rule is relaxed is when the particular gang is a body part gets ‘clipped off ’ for a slight or indiscretion. This
highly focussed on family, like the Pig Nicks, who have a is typically a finger, or toe, occasionally an ear but the more
lineage devoted to gang life. Others like the Pale Zeroes brutal gangs may go a lot further. You do not want to mess
have no loyalty to their origins and they choose purely based up in such gang organisations…
on strength and viciousness. Family gangs are the exception
to this, where gang and family are the same thing. NO UNSANCTIONED HITS.
SOIL OR BLOOD. No gang member can injure or kill a rival gang member
without it being authorised by their Captain who in turn
If you join a gang you must be either native to the region needs permission from higher up the chain. While gangs
or forfeit blood. For outsiders, there is an initiation to join will regularly engage in scuffles or all-out war, they won’t go
wherein you must spill four tenths of your blood in order to against another established gang without getting permission
enter, bringing the Prospect to the brink of death. from their leaders.
If they can survive this gruelling admittance they’re in. This This can lead to situations where an Enforcer will kill a
particular ordeal is specific to outsiders, with locals being rival gang member on the orders of their boss only to have
exempt. their boss claim to have not given them the order, resulting
in sanctions, usually lethal, on the Enforcer.
EARN OR FIGHT. Gangs will go to war, but sometimes they will pretend
that it never happened, with both sides coming to a truce
Most gang members have to earn a certain amount of gang
before the 13th Meeting, just to stave off costly sanctions
upkeep on a weekly basis, but some don’t have the smarts
and executions.
or the aptitude so they get offered essentially brave points
- they have to take more risks in defending the gang if they
aren’t money makers. Such Enforcers never climb the ranks;
TATTOO RESTRICTIONS/SIGNIFICANCE.
they remain as soldiers. Modern Gangs have a much more distinctive look than in
A gang member is expected to kick up a tithe of between any generation before. Where once the gang member could
fifty and five hundred Unis a week, by close of business settle for characteristic clothing, they are now expected to
Friday, up the chain. Late payment has penalties, ranging undergo extreme alterations, like DNA Hallmarks across the
from small ten uni fines, usually hourly, to black marks on face or body which can never be erased.
your record or worse. These enhancements must be done properly, adhering to
very strict guidelines in some cases. The Big Numbers insist
“Look, we don’t want a fixed amount, you know this. We on a precise rendition of the Slayer skull found on the SLA
want ten percent of everything you earn and that ten percent insignia.
had better be good. If you’re not making big numbers, you’re
The black and white patterning must reach as low as the
not Big Numbers.”
shoulders, which must be sharp, clean blocks that do not fray
Sebastian Heywood. Gang Boss - The Big Numbers. or bleed into grey.
Any deviation from the exact requirement will result in
NEVER BE LATE. expulsion from the gangs, so fresh recruits desperately need
to get it right.
Most gangs operate 24 hours a day, all week every week,
Having such drastic modification really means the Gang
with the various members taking shifts. Slovenly, apathetic
Member is a lifer and can never escape their past.
gang members disrupt the flow or revenue and defence of the
gang and threaten its stability. Gang members are expected
to be where they’re supposed to be at the allotted time,
whether that may be handling the trade or shipping drugs
71
SHIVER MARKS. GANG HARDWARE

If you’ve killed a Shiver you get special privileges, just
don’t let the Shiver patrols see those tattoos. The Shiver Kill CASH FOR SHOOTERS
symbol is just one vertical zig zag line, in red. Subsequent
Shiver Kills form a consecutive line from left to right, but “Weapons cache? More like weapons CASH, am I right?”
most gang members stop adding to row after five and then Binkel Marteen, SCL 8a, Squad “Kill all Funsters”.
just add one final black X. It is a dangerous badge of honour,
but forces greater commitment to the gang. SLA Industries recently introduced a new way to keep rival
and Soft Company weapons off the streets and onto your
PROSPECT LAWS. screens. Mort Transmutable Incentive is a chain of Suburbia
shops where Operatives can hand over unsanctioned
If you put forward a prospect, you can find yourself weapons for cash. Paying between 1% and 5% of their value,
responsible for his every action and transgression. Someone, depending on condition, MTI will take weapons, armour
somewhere has to take responsibility for new members and and full clips of ammunition off Operatives in return for
that gang member is responsible for their discipline and will credits.
take punishment for their transgressions. A sponsor has to
be confident in their prospect’s loyalty, but they get a cut This encourages and incentivises Operatives to use
of their earnings in return, until they become full members. sanctioned weapons and gives media companies a pipeline
of used arms and armour for the entertainment of Mort
affectionados of televised violence.
While Derwent Act sanctioned Soft Companies get first
refusal to buy back any of their weapons that end up at MTI,
any DarkNight and other oppressor power weapons that
don’t get bought back or sold to media outlets get destroyed
in four working days.
“I have noticed Operatives, Shivers and Rangers in the

Cannibal Sectors don’t seem to turn in the good shit. It’s
almost like they’re keeping the fancy stuff for themselves
when they’re not under the watchful eye of SLA. Who’d have
guessed it?”
Gennie Finch, MTI 3, Suburbia.
ARMOUR
SteelThread Suit
SteelThread Suits are clean-cut suits made with armour-
woven materials, offering the wearer extra protection
while keeping them looking sharp. Originally, these suits
were exclusively worn by Big Numbers gang members,
but occasionally, they will be seen worn by a stylish Soft
Company executive.
SteelThread Suit Cost: 400u
PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT
2 10 0
The SteelThread offers no environmental
protections. Custom suits cost 2-3x Cost.
72
RANGED WEAPONS Deciding Vote Shotgun

Nipper Pistol “Nice. I’ll take three.”
Most gang members will own a Nipper Pistol at some point Brenda “Chinsaw” Bennings,
of their career, as it is a reliable and cost-effective weapon. Enforcer, Gang ‘Five Pigs’.
The weighted muzzle offers very effective recoil baffling
and acts as noise reduction that allows it to be used indoors The Deciding Vote is a heavy shotgun that fits snugly under
without bursting the eardrums of its wielder. a long coat. Its intimidating barrel and overly loud reloading
pump makes it a terrifying and deadly weapon that finds
itself in the hands of gang members and Props alike.
Deciding Vote Shotgun Cost: 2500u
SKILL: Rifle
DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
Nipper Pistol Cost: 400u
1d10+3 3 5 2
Skill: Pistol
DMG Min DMG AD Weight ROF RECOIL RANGE CLIP Clip Cost
1d10-2 2 1 1 1 1 25m 4 200u
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost

Thug SMG
1 0 60m 10 50u “I call it my Street Saw, I ain’t no thug.”
Stick Up Revolver Givens “Trace” Malken, Enforcer, Gang ‘Main Brace’.
A sturdy, reasonably powerful six shooter. As its name
When a Gang is going to war, they break out the Thug
suggests this weapon is used in robberies and once fired
SMGs.This submachine gun has only been in Downtown
is meant to kill store owners outright leaving no living
circulation for about three years, but is growing in popularity
witnesses. The revolver is not overly expensive but the bullets
and is proving to be a real problem for Shiver Patrols coming
can be. A popular weapon among Gang Captains who
under fire.
will occasionally use it as a bludgeon to discipline unruly
Prospects. The Thug carries an extended clip, encouraging gang
members to hose down their targets, but it doesn’t work well
against high level powered armour.
Stick Up Revolver Cost: 500u

Thug SMG Cost: 1000u
Skill: Pistol
Skill: Pistol/Rifle
1d10+1 5 2 1
1d10-3 1 1 1
1 0 50m 6 100u
3/10 1/2 60m 60 80u
73
While prize money and gambling is the primary motivator

OTHER EQUIPMENT for these organised matches, they are also seen as a way for
Gang Colours gangs to settle disputes, allowing enforcers and lackeys the
opportunity to publicly fight a rival while maintaining the
All Gang Members wear Gang colours. In many cases it “no unsanctioned hits” aspect of The Code. Battles result in
doesn’t matter what type of clothing is worn by the gang smashed or damaged machinery but rarely causes fatalities
member, so long as the colour pattern matches that of the among the fighters.
gang. Some gangs have more extravagant colours which
can include full suits but even then it’s rare for these to be Sasoran Patrol Suits are often mistaken for K’Shangs, but
particularly expensive. they’re SLA-built powersuits that are limited to the island of
Sasora, designed to defend the industrial zones outside the
Gang Colours Cost: 5u+ walled city of Okutama and popularised in televised Sasoran
Weight: 0 police dramas. Unlike K’Shangs, Patrol Suits are armed and
armoured with assorted firearms and bolstered ceramic plate
When wearing Gang colours gang members are
armour and are illegal outside of Sasora.
protected both by their sense of belonging and by
the expectations of their fellow gang members. Gang
colours grant a gang member +1 CHA +2 COOL
POWERSUIT RULES:
and +5 Hit Points as well as allowing them to reroll Powersuits are suits of Heavy Power Armour that are
one attack per combat where they are defending other very similar to Battlesuits. Like their larger cousins they
gang members on gang turf. Gang members fighting completely replace the pilot’s STR while being piloted
to reclaim stolen colours are immune to Fear.. and while no skill or training is needed to pilot it, the
suit limits the DEX by the amount shown under Max
GANG VEHICLES DEX. To mitigate this deficiency Powersuits often have
state of the art sensors that increase the responsiveness
of the pilot by providing a degree of early warning and
K’SHANGS may provide a bonus to initiative. Powersuits cannot
use standard firearms or hand weapons, but they may be
“It’s all the rage at KT; You’ve got to have a K’Shang if you modified to use Stormer or Shaktar weapons.
want to stand out and it’d better look bloody good.” Powersuits are big, but seldom so big it impedes combat
- Binn Shades, Lackey, gang ‘KrossTown Traffic’. or interactions with smaller objects. In addition to these
rules, Advanced Powersuits are fully waterproof and
Civilian powersuits come in many shapes and sizes, shielded from Biological, Chemical and Radiological
ranging from simple load lifters, exoskeletons that allow threats. Advanced Powersuits may also have weapon
a user to lift large loads that would normally be too heavy hardpoints added.
and cumbersome, to courier suits that allow users to move Powersuits have a STR stat that is deceptively low but
at higher speeds than they can run. These suits are modified STR is not the ability to lift, it is also the ability to apply
by gang mechanics to make the civilian powersuits known in force in a dynamic fashion. When it comes to tasks like
Downtown as K’Shangs. the lifting of pallets and heavy goods a Powersuit will
A K’Shang is a modified powersuit that has armour and rarely, if ever, need to use its STR stat. A Powersuit,
decoration added to make unique designs that are used by when moving a static heavy object would need to be
gangs as personal transport and status symbols. K’Shang moving something massive, like a parked APC, before
gangs like Krosstown Traffic have a series of workshops and needing to make any sort of test. For all intents and
garages to modify and repair the civilian frames into full rigs purposes a Powersuit is as capable of carrying goods as a
that resemble the off-world Battlesuits used in the eternal forklift. When attacking using a Powersuit, the suit uses
conflicts on War Worlds or the patrol suits of Sasora, the a natural weapon called Mechanised Punch.
island state in the Altek Ocean to the east of Mort’s largest
landmass. Mechanised Punch
K’Shang fights are popular in Downtown, with underground
DMG Min DMG AD
matches organised weekly in many sectors bringing unis into
local economies and supporting gang-managed gambling. 1d10+STR STR STR-2
The K’Shang powersuits used in these fights tend to look like Any combatant not in a K’Shang or Battlesuit
they’re capable of sustaining and delivering huge amounts will be knocked down if they have a STR
of damage, but the reality is that they’re nowhere near as less than Double the K’Shang’s.
dangerous as the battlesuits that inspire them.
74
Modular System: Some Powersuits are designed to be dock mechanic, took a Dustman home as part of her forced
modified. These suits can integrate multiple devices retirement. Bash removed all the outer plates and paint from
without any strain on the framework. A Character with her Dustman and fitted home-made parts so it no longer
a day to work can integrate any piece of equipment, up resembled a dock loader, an essential job as her employer
to and including Heavy Weapons into the suit. How wasn’t aware she’d taken it when she left. Bash used her
many pieces of equipment is down to the skill of the K’Shang as personal transport after she moved to Mort
Mechanic. A modular system can house equipment up City and became a local fixture in her Sector. Some kids
to the Mechanics Skill Ranks in Technical: Mechanical in Sector 23 eventually cobbled enough cash to buy their
without any sort of test. Powersuits without this ability own Dustman frame, a broken pallet carrier and got Bash to
are limited to one piece of equipment. help them get it running. It wasn’t long before a few gangs
Waterproofing: If the suit’s Hit Points are reduced got their own loaders and started racing them and using
to 10 it is no longer capable of protecting its occupier them for fights. The K’Shang was born from the Dustman
from water, luckily the controls of such suits are further and it remains the most common starting point for today’s
protected and will still function so long as the suit has Hit machines.
Points. Waterproof designs, unless otherwise stated, can
Dustman Cost: 100,000u
use their Movement speed in the water.
External Oxygen Tanks: Waterproofed K’Shangs can Skill: Drive (Powersuit)
carry external oxygen tanks, though these may limit the STR Max DEX INIT Bonus
areas it can freely traverse and can be very dangerous. 4 2 +0
Commercial Oxygen Tanks carry 30 minutes of Air and
cost 150u each. They have a PV of 9 and 1 Hit Point. If PV Resistance Hit Points
one is detonated it deals damage to the Powersuit and any 7 24 40
other tanks as if a Mag-Mine (Core Rulebook pg 157). Movement: 8
Second-hand: Most K’Shangs will be bought second Power Suit, Modular System, Sluggish:
hand. These powersuits are second to fifth-hand scraps Attacks with the Power suit’s Mechanised
with a purchase price of 10% its usual asking price. Of Punch are made with a -2 penalty.
course there’s a catch, when repairing a K’Shang (See
Integrated Equipment: None.
Repairing Vehicles: Core Rulebook page 123) there is a
chance that something will be discovered that needs to Common Options: Most gang models of
be replaced urgently. The owner must roll 1d10-Luck to the Dustman feature a mounted weapon
determine how much extra the repair will cost. Once this of some sort, usually a Thug SMG.
is rolled, if the value is 1 or more this is multiplied by
500u to determine the cost that must be paid before any
PV or Hit Points can be recovered.
The Dustman
“Everyone starts with a Dustman. It’s how you learn
everything. The standard controls are what everyone mods
the other frames to be. Even a completely dead Dustman is
useful to make, say, a Bodger Punchomatic work properly by
fitting the Dustman’s control panel in the place of the daft
crap the Bodger comes with. We wouldn’t be where we are
today without the pile of rust and chalky ceramic that is the
bin lifter.”
Mick “Fishy” Tanner, Mechanic,
gang ‘KrossTown Traffic’.
The Kanner Industrious I, known colloquially as The

Dustman, is the most common Power Suit used to make
K’Shangs. Its original design was as a power lifter for
industrial use, with a well armoured fusion pack and open
mechanics to allow factories to modify the frame for specific
tasks and environments. The Dustman’s adaptability was
the origin of the first K’Shang, when Ellen Bash, a Brengen
75
Kanner Valiant IV Günther Breist

“There’s nothing I like more than watching two Valiants “Don’t get too close to a Breist; in the hands of a skilled
knocking the bolts off one another. It’s like mechanised operator, they can wrestle. There’s not much worse than
poetry.” getting your legs taken out by one of those hunchback fuckers.”
Vish Brunel, Captain, Gang ‘The Black Stripes’. Coach Breyr “Biff ” Steys, Unemployed
Downtown Civilian.
The Valiant is an all-rounder that usually ends up in the
ring as its basic design is suited to sustaining impact and
the strong arms are nimble enough for a skilled operator
to deliver thunderous punches. Designed as an industrial
all-rounder waldo unit, it has a rudimentary atmospheric
processing system and can work underwater for short spells.
It is ideally suited for the rains of Mort. The occasional
Valiant can be seen used around the sector wall, loading
supplies for Shivers heading out to the BridgeHeads.
Kanner Valiant IV Cost: 200,000u
Skill: Drive (Powersuit)

STR Max DEX INIT Bonus
5 2 +1
PV Resistance Hit Points
8 24 50*
Movement: 8
Power Suit, Waterproofing: Can traverse water.
Integrated Equipment: Waterproof
Interior, 60 minutes of Air.
Common Options: External Oxygen Tanks
Designed for working in hostile environments, the
Günther Breist can be found in spaceports and beyond the
Cannibal Sectors, fixing pipes and other mechanical devices.
The hands of a Breist are surprisingly dextrous and strong,
allowing an operator to manipulate controls and tools to
effect repairs in punishing settings, protecting the operator
with a completely closed system with full atmospheric
processors and protections. The curved armoured design is
designed to deflect falling debris more than stop it dead, but
it’s still heavily armoured against direct impacts. The power
unit is capable of a short burst of energy, followed by a brief
rest period, that allows a Breist to move quickly to evade
danger or quickly apply more torque to a sticky bolt. This
is usually converted to a “killing blow” or “last ditch dodge”
when they’re converted to fighting units.
Günther Breist Cost: 300,000u
Skill: Drive (Powersuit)

STR Max DEX INIT Bonus
6 4 +1
10 26 60
Movement: 8/2
76
Advanced Powersuit, Emergency Mode: The Breist is been spotted in the Cannibal Sectors and it won’t be too long
capable of entering an Emergency Mode. When it does before these illegal suits turn up in Downtown.
so, it can either increase its Movement speed to 20, or
Maki Mk 4 Cost: 55,000c
reroll all the dice from one Skill Test. If that Skill Test
is made as a part of using the Powersuits Mechanised Skill: Drive (Powersuit)
Punch attack then damage can also be rerolled. Once STR Max DEX INIT Bonus
this is used the suit goes into a brown out and can only
7 4 +3
move unloaded at Movement 2 for 1d10 combat rounds.
Integrated Equipment: Air Purification System,
Void Capable with 8 hours internal air supply. 12 26 80
Common Options: Integrated Repair Equipment. Movement: 6/18
Maki Heavy Industries Model 4 Patrol Suit Advanced Powersuit, Waterproofing: When
traversing the water the MAKI has a Movement
“Someone offered me a Maki four recently, but the cash they of 18. All FEN weapons have advanced targeting
wanted for it was ridiculous. If you could afford it, you would systems that grant a +1 to Attack rolls.
already be better armed and there’s no way you’d survive five Integrated Equipment: Air Purification System, Void
minutes on a Downtown street before an APC filled with Capable with 4 hours Internal Air Supply, BOOPA
Operatives, chased by a camera crew, would be responding to CASDIS, FEN Laser Painter, FEN 270671b Scout
a Red Alert that just says ‘hand that fucker his arse’. Nope, Helmet, Modified FEN AR with 200 rd Ammo Drum.
not for me, no matter how cool it looks on TV.” Common Options: Some models mount a FEN
Jan “Gritted” Tieth, Captain, Gang 808 Power Reaper instead of the FEN AR and
‘Pretty Shake Down’. rumours persist of integrated Reaver Cannons.
The Maki 4 Sasoran Patrol Suit is used by Patrol Units in CARS

Okutama as a rapid response unit and may be armed with a
concealed FEN 808 Power Reaper or an arm-mounted FEN “There’s two kinds of cars in Mort City; cars you need and
AR. Maki Heavy Industries has a very good relationship cars you want. I sell the cars you want. You want to get from
with FEN, allowing them access to custom mounted A to B with the minimum of fuss? Sorry, I can’t help you.
versions of their weapons. The armour on these units is Go buy a Potter or a Canby or whatever is on special offer at
uprated Crackshot Armour and is painted to match the body your local wheel shifter. If you’re looking for something flash
armour of the Sasoran Police, the Okutama equivalent of that makes a bit of noise or smells a bit Skendish, take a seat
Mort’s Shivers. In recent years, a handful of Maki 4s have and I’ll be with you as soon as.”
Hen Bratton, Salesman, Specialist Motors.
With public transport taking care of most travel needs, car

ownership is not widespread, especially amongst the poor.
Those who own cars or motorbikes do so out of convenience,
as status symbols or as a recreational pursuit. Mid-level
corporates tend to have luxury or performance cars, with
brands like Masari or Skend high on their shopping lists,
while higher ranked executives will have a luxury car, like
a Bannock or a Kensi, with room to hold meetings in the
back and a screened off driver’s compartment for a chauffeur.
The gangs of Mort, however, like cars to be seen in and they
tend to buy cars with on-street presence, like the Growler or
Gallé, both of which have unusual characteristics. Typically,
vehicles in the World of Progress are powered by closed-
circuit fusion plants that quietly generate electricity to power
the vehicles throughout the lifespan of the vehicle. These
power plants are mostly clean and stable, generating enough
power to take a city car up to 130km/h constantly and
consistently, accelerating at an unassuming rate and allowing
a driver to get to their destination with as little fuss as the
traffic will permit. These simple cars come in all shapes and
77
sizes with several brands filling as many niches as the market Growler Cost: 120,000u
allows. These simple cars are not what gets you noticed
though and the gangs of Mort City like to be noticed. The Skill: Drive (Civilian)
other powertrains that operate in Mort’s cars are variable Length Width Height
rate fusion drives, working on the same principle as the 3.2m 2m 1.7m
more common closed-circuit systems, but with the ability
Capacity: 1 Driver 1 Passenger
to increase the rate of power generation on demand. These
systems are more complicated, less reliable, more powerful PV Resistance Hit Points
and, as is important to some, much more noisy. The virtually 4 16 50
silent town car cannot be mistaken for one of these prestige
Movement: 36
vehicles and that’s just how their owners like it.
Variable Rate Fusion Drive
Variable Rate Fusion Drives: The higher performance
powertrains require more skill than a regular unit, Dupont Model ‘Gallé’
requiring a Drive (Civilian): 2 skill to tame the twitchier
“These buggers keep selling. They race ‘em outside the city,
engines. These engines are also used in most military
you know. More than half the runners in the last Cannibal
vehicles, but are tuned to be more usable, requiring Drive
Run piloted these cars and for good reason. They are a bit of
(Military): 1 regardless of the type of reactor.
a handful and the wheels are too thin for the power they put
Skend 75 “Growler” out, but that’s how the skilled drivers like ‘em. Sliding all
over the place, making a beautiful racket as they do. You’ll be
“ You can feel it when one of these goes past. The having one, I take it.”
unfortunately named Growler is a noisy bugger, ranging - Hen Bratton, Salesman, Specialist Motors.
from a low rumble of heat exchangers to a loud whine of
high-speed dumpers when you really put your foot down. You The car of choice for the Jack O’Lanterns and a few other
can’t mistake them for anything else and they’re among the gangs, the original Dupont Gallé came out of New Paris
best you can get, outside of the pure prestige stuff. I love ‘em.” Industrial Design School but was constructed on Mort
- Hen Bratton, Salesman, Specialist Motors. in the shadow of the city wall. The powerful engine was
modified within a week of the car hitting the streets and a
The expensive high-performance Growler is favoured by couple of high-publicity drag races pushed the Gallé into
the Big Numbers gang for their show-offy appearance and the zeitgeist and onto the bedroom walls of teenagers. The
entertaining performance. As a status symbol, there are more second version of the Gallé was released with a performance
renowned marques, but the Growler requires no SCL badge kit that opened up the power and handling in the same way
to buy and can embarrass most of the lower end prestige the drag racers were doing and not a single model was sold
corporate playthings. without the optional kit. The latest model has the kit half-
fitted, keeping the car street legal, but turning it into a racer
with a few hours of easy work.
Dupont Model ‘Gallé’ Cost: 130,000u
Skill: Drive (Civilian)

Length Width Height
3.8m 2m 1.8m
Capacity: 1 Driver 3 Passengers
“Frank, you can’t call it a Growler.” PV Resistance Hit Points
“ Yeah, but it growls, Jeff.” 4 12 55
“Frank, Frank, Frank, you can’t name a car after a minge.”
Movement: 28
“I didn’t; they did. Besides, when this baby hits the streets,
nobody will remember that’s what it means. It sounds so cool!
And besides, that’s what they call it in Skend and they’re all
fancy.”
“Kraften something prestandan of a Growler. Yeah, I
remember. Maybe you’re right. We’ll be ok.”
“ Yes! Ok, let’s hit the pub. Huerrdenfleurs are on you.”
78
Easily Modified Fusion Drive: Three hours and a Masari Energy Splice Cost: 25,000u
Complex Technical: Mechanical Skill Test will allow the Skill: Drive Motorcycle
owner to reconfigure the Drive to a Variable Rate Fusion
Drive Increasing the Movement to 32. Most of this time Length Width Height
is spent improving the responsiveness of the brakes. 1.6m 0.9m 0.9m
The classic S model of the ‘Galle’ is a convertible Capacity: 1 Driver, 1 Passenger or 1
and more than a few mechanics will convert another Driver, 1 Messenger Case
variant to mimic the S. The cost of chopping the roof PV Resistance Hit Points
and adding a fabric roof is 1000u only 100u of which
is the mechanics fee. This will reduce PV by 1 unless a 2 14 12
much more expensive (5000u) ballistic fabric is used. Movement: 50
Pseudosmart handling: When driving a Masari,
MOTORBIKES the normal penalty of its Variable Rate Fusion
drive is absorbed by its top of the line pseudo smart
Mort is not the eaasiest city to get around, and one large
handling. Pseudosmart handling also allows it’s owner
aspect of this is the traffic. Public transport vies with cars,
to reroll failed Piloting tests. The weak structure of
trucks and armoured vehicles, with very little room left over
the bike means that when it does crash, it is prone
for the swathes of pedestrians that make up Downtown. A
to crumpling into an unrecognisable mess. The
cheap and easy solution to this is the motorcycle. With many
optional messenger case is as structurally sound as
manufacturers providing models to deal with most needs,
Hard Armour and is often all that survives a crash.
a street bike, a touring bike or a speed bike being popular
options, the quickest way to get from sector to sector is DarkNight Venture
sometimes a motorbike.
Making a statement as you travel is just an added bonus. “I saw one of these out at Noddy’s Sister. It was painted
green with crudely drawn Shiver logos on it, but you could
Masari Energy Splice tell it was a Venture. It was the only bike I’d seen out there
that could actually deal with the terrain at any sort of
“It’s a bit quick, it’s very red and that’s the way I like it.” worthwhile speed. Damn, I wish SLA made something that
Dani Parker, Enforcer, Gang ‘Mercurial’. good.”
Shiver Pvt. Mendo Clemends, Squad ‘Hail, Mario’
The Energy Splice is a Variable Rate Fusion Drive
sportsbike designed for speed in urban settings and is one of The DarkNight Venture is an all-terrain bike made for rapid
the favoured options of high-end couriers and messengers in deployment and scouting duties in the Cannibal Sectors.
Mort City. The powerplant is capable of getting the bike up Downtown gangs have adopted the single-seater DarkNight
to speeds over 250km/h, but there is very little opportunity bike as a run-and-gun bike as its long travel suspension and
to do anywhere near that on Mort. agile frame work well in dense urban environments where
Seen mostly as a status symbol, especially after the bike’s roads cannot be relied upon to be empty.
lead role in the TV show Couriers, the Masari is designed Many Ventures have been reported to be in use by Shivers
as performance first and style second with comfort and and wanderers in the Cannibal Sectors, far from SLA’s
reliability much further down the list. The reputation for watchful eyes.
speed is deserved and those who can afford an Energy
Splice, or even the lesser Masari offerings, know exactly what
they’re buying.
79
DarkNight Venture Cost: 11,000u Easy 840

Skill: Drive Motorcycle
“If you want to take it easy, take an Easy.”
Length Width Height Easy 840 advertising slogan.
2m 1m 0.9m
Capacity: 1 Driver, 1 Passenger Some bikes are designed for comfort and style as opposed
to performance and the Easy 840 is the most popular cruiser
PV Resistance Hit Points in Downtown. With raked forks and a saddle that will
4 14 18 coddle you for kilometre after kilometre, the Easy range of
Movement: 30 bikes will eventually get you to where you’re going; on this
bike the journey is more important than the destination.
Excellent Handling: When driving a Venture,
its handling allows for the Success Die to be
“When you want to ride around and look at yourself in shop
rerolled. The Venture also features a hidden holster
windows as you cruise past, this is the bike to do it on.”
suitable for most pistols and small SMGs.
Missy Finton, Enforcer, Gang ‘Lead Baskets’.
Engels Crusader
“I like how I can sit on it and it doesn’t care.”
Korn Beef, Prop.
The Engels Crusader is a brutish motorbike, designed for

bursts of acceleration and comfort. While it’s not the most
manoeuvrable bike on Mort, It has enough power for a
heavily armoured rider to get up to respectable speeds in a
very short time. Fitted with a Variable Rate Fusion Drive,
the Crusader is a loud and brash statement, favoured by
gangs like the Pig Nicks and by armoured Props who like to
be seen and heard.
Engels Crusader Cost: 14,000u
Skill: Drive Motorcycle

Length Width Height Easy 840 Cost: 23,000u
2.2m 1m 1m Skill: Drive Motorcycle
Capacity: 1 Driver, Length Width Height
PV Resistance Hit Points 1.6m 0.9m 0.9m
5 14 25 Capacity: 1 Driver
Movement: 38 PV Resistance Hit Points
Variable Rate Fusion Drive. 3 14 18
Movement: 28
The Easy 840 is fully customisable and for an additional
2,000u can be purchased with an hour long fashion
consultancy where the colour and style can be customised.
Additional customisation elements may cost extra.
80
Cannibal Run “The last leg, loaded with hangovers and souvenirs,
straight through from Sister to Hole2 was the hardest.
The fireproof-suited racers sat in the shadow of the
That’s where you could make up for bad stages before.
wall as the sun set, waiting for the history lesson from
The top guys spent their engines on this run, aiming to
the team owner. They knew the stories well, but hearing
wring everything they could out of their battered rides.
them from Marnock’s mouth was an experience they
weren’t going to miss out on. They had earned their “Nowadays, it’s all proper and organised, with TV
rides and this was one of the rewards. crews covering the races, sponsorship deals and SLA
Industries turning a blind eye where there’s money to
“The Dupont Model Gallé was perfectly timed with
be made. The runs suit them and they make sure there’s
the consolidation of the Bridgeheads east of the wall.
no money left on the table.
We needed something fast and planted on the shitty
new roads that were being cleared east of the gates. “I appreciate the following theseries has, but I do feel
The Dupes were well placed because the factory was like it was better when it was just a bunch of badnicks
right there on the Hole2 gate with the Noddy run a out there, blazing a trail as fast as they could, rife with
straight bit of flatish Mac all the way. Noddy’s Sister danger, risk and overindulgence. I wouldn’t say it’s lost
wasn’t too far off after that. its way, but the days of just turning up in a fresh Gallé
“Dupont had a deal with the Shivers on Hole2 where and running what you brung are long behind us, even
they’d let them stretch the Gallé’s legs on the shoirt though they’re not that long ago.”
clean stretch to Endeavour, getting performance runs Bradshaw Marnock, the original Cannibal Runner
on rough roads, knowing the speed stats from the dirt turned from looking to the peak of the wall to face the
runs would sell the cars to people who never saw a strip young drivers, his cigar fighting the rain that fell over
of dirt in their lives. Not as fast on paper as top line the enraptured faces staring up at him.
sports models, you ain’t getting a Masari at the lights, “I’m not gonna lie, this shit is dangerous, and you’re
but a kinda … honest speed, if you know what I mean. not going to earn much if you don’t get on the podium,
“This was, for me, the right sort of noise to be coming but for the days you spend on the road, you’re going to
from a car factory. I heard that Noddy had needs and feel more alive than you ever did. If you’ve not got the
that they had some good shit to trade for city stuff. I bug already - I see ya Dinah, what is it your third run?
needed a car that could run from a gate to a Bridgehead Fourth? Yeah, you got this - you will have afterwards.
fast enough to get out of trouble and sturdy enough Good luck out there, and I want all three spots filled
to carry some of Mort’s finest pharmaceuticals and with Marnock Red. Do me proud, prove me right in
luxuries over the unpredictable terrain. choosing you.”
“I loved the Dupes because, after a few simple mods, Marnock left the campfire and the partying drivers.
they were damned good at this. After a couple of solo Tomorrow would be the first run and he wouldn’t miss
runs, I told a few of the gang guys, for a vig of course, the start for the world. He wishes he could still drive,
they got their own Dupes and we started to have a bit but this generation of drivers were faster, better and
of fun on our runs. tougher than he ever was. He had the reputation, but
“Let’s face it, we all know what happens when you get a when the eyeballs turn up, so does the talent.
couple of bad ‘uns in equal machinery on a bit of empty “Brad, I’m not sure I’ll be able to do you proud; I’m
road. We raced. We did half-clicks, we did top speeds, shitting it,” said a young driver who left the revelry for
we did timed runs, the lot. But the one thing that stuck one last word with the legend.
was the Cannibal Runs. A bit of an endurance race, we
did timed runs to Endeavour, waited for everyone to “If you don’t do well, and I can’t have you back in my
catch up and timed it to Noddy. Same there to Noddy’s team next run, I know you’ll be trying your damndest
Sister where we were far enough from the city for the to raise the hundred and sommat grand for your own
Bridgehead to be a little less … well, freedom matters Dupe, taking your chances with the privateers, but we
to folk out there. There are city folk sneaking out to the know how tough that can be.
cleared parts of the sectors looking for a new life, a life “And if you need practice for next time, I hear you
without interference, and that feeling runs through can earn sacks of Unis from Hole1 to Chaps Platform
Noddy’s Sister, even though it’s on the edge of Tabor. up north, but you didn’t hear it from me, right?”
81
MANCHINES
One of the more familiar terrors of Mort City is the
Manchine. This killing machine was created by SLA
WANDERERS
Industries as a crowd control weapon in times of civil unrest. Wanderers are Manchines who have lost contact with
After the exiles followed Digger to Salvation Tower, those the grid. They are independent and as close to lonely as a
once-loyal servants of the company turned traitor and machine can be, looking for purpose and to fulfil their broken
obeyed their new master out in the cannibal sectors. interpretation of orders. The ones that have survived this long
Manchines out on duty in the city went into hiding and are usually infiltrators who were programmed to keep out of
many exiles infiltraded the city they were programmed to sight or Manchines whose connection to their kind has been
defend, and centuries later, some Manchines have twisted broken. The infiltrators are very good at staying hidden and
their original programming and are waging war against what the broken Manchines haven’t caused enough trouble to be
they see as subversion while others remain loyal to SLA targeted yet.
Industries and are seeking to reconnect to the command-
and-control grid that they might continue their service. EXILES
MOVEMENT “We were in Noddy’s Sister, deep in the sector and there
were loads of Cannibals making a noise, charging towards
In spite of all the horrors, Manchines rarely leave their us. We thought they were making an ill-advised assault on
lairs without reason. There are exceptions of course, but your our toughened walls, but it turned out they were running
average Downtown Manchine will stay in one location or away in abject horror from a fucking terrifying Manchine
small region, not needing to venture out for resources or that was just going gonzo on them. He was taller than
supplies. The usual problem occurs when a Manchine is their biggest fighter and fast as fuck. You can’t understand
destroyed. It might; die of old age when their fusion cell just how fast they are until you see one angry. He had two
eventually wears out, get attacked and killed or go on a massive blades coming off his shoulders that looked like
rampage. When any of these happen, their territory is no spinning fans, turning rain and blood into steam as they
longer controlled and this causes a gap in the Manchine’s spun. One of his hands was a half-metre circular saw blade
filigree radio network, a dead spot without a Manchine in that he just pointed at the nearest Cannibal, warding them
it. Every Manchine in range, usually three to five kilometres, off, as if they’d even think of approaching. I have never seen
is compelled to close the hole by moving closer to it and something that dedicated, that designed, to turning living
patching over it. things into wet piles of slick meat. We were frozen in our
posts, half in awe and half terrified as he just minced them to
“When Manchines move to reclaim a dead one’s territory, gobbits. How would we even deal with this goliath? Would
it sounds innocuous, but what this actually means is you’ve our walls even slow him down?
suddenly got a couple of Manchines looking for a new lair. Once he was finished with them, he slowly walked up to the
And by a couple, we mean sometimes up to six. This isn’t wall, just out of range of our ground pounders and saluted us.
like when they occasionally get wanderlust and take a stroll As he wandered back into the mire, flicking his blades clean,
round their manor, this is them looking for a new home, no I realised he thought he was on our side.
matter what gets in their way. Shit gets real, fast. I’ve seen things out there, but seeing how scared those
Wanderlust? Oh yeah, for no reason, some of them just get Cannibals were stayed with me. You think shit’s scary, but
up and take a wander round their neighbourhoods from when you see what a monster’s nightmare looks like, there’s
time to time. When that happens, Operatives swoop in no coming back.
and take them out. This leads to another fucking migration. Cannibals never scared me after that.”
Manchines are a mess.” - Shiver Sgt. Grant ‘Ape’ Meggan, Sector 2, District 8
- Chester Patel, Threat Analysis Lecture, Meny
82
MANCHINES
Occasionally, there is a third type that draws attention to

itself in Downtown. A returned Exile is one of Digger’s
Manchines that has escaped his control without meeting the
fate of traitorous Exiles and being reduced to spares by his
fellow machines.
A rogue Exile enters the city, like all invasive Cannibal
Sector horrors, through the sewers. Some find a home there,
harvesting carnivorous pig flesh to wear as their skin and
looking for purpose away from Digger’s control. This seems
to be triggered by a breakdown in control circuitry or by the
reawakening of old orders, urging them to be loyal to SLA
Industries.
Exiles tend to stay in the sewers, finding an environment
they feel comfortable in after centuries under an open sky.
Occasionally they will venture into downtown, seeking out
spares or having sensed a target, following a self-inflicted
mission, triggered by a broken memory of its orders.
Manchine Exiles in Downtown are particularly angered by
cultists, with some acting as if Digger sent them into the
city to explicitly deal with the rise of the Shi’an cult. Threat
Analysis has yet to confirm this motivation.
RAMPAGE
When Manchines hit the news channels, it’s almost always
because one has gone on a rampage. A Manchine will just
start killing things; sometimes, it’s a clutch of Carrien that
tried to take a building, other times, it’s a marketplace of
Downtowners buying knock-off shoes and t-shirts. Whatever
the reason, the Manchine becomes newsworthy very quickly
and can spawn a Red Alert Hunter Sheet or BPN. News
crews and Shivers inevitably arrive before Operatives, but
it’ll be down to Operatives to quell the threat. Manchines
are impervious to gauss BBs and Shivers can only try to
move the crowds away from the killing machine.
CLASSIFICATIONS
“We’re all familiar with the Threat Analysis of a Manchine.
A humanoid creature, with metal showing between the
hanging flesh they attach to their frames under a long coat or
poncho and this is usually quite accurate. But outside of the
typical shuffling chrome and flesh tramp with massive blades
on his shoulders there is a vast amount of variety and that’s
what we’re going to look at today.”
- Jenny Lettle, Threat Analysis Lecture, Meny.
Downtown Manchines come in two main forms, the Killa

Chassis MkV, the standard-sized Urbanite Manchine that is
mechanically identical to the Exile Manchine, and the much
larger MkVII, the Manchine Brute.
83
URBANITE Urbanite Manchine/Exile Manchine

STR DEX KNOW CONC
The MkV is the size of a large human, designed to fit
in a regular Shiver APC’s rear seats and use human-scale 5 4 3 3
weapons and clothes. Their silhouette is that of a human, but CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
they are recognisable at sight by the decaying flesh hanging
0 7 0 +7
from their steel and alloy frames. They cover the bare metal
with clothes, usually rotting and covered in the blood of their Hit Points Closing Rushing
donors. 27 3 7
“They say you can recognise a Manchine as soon as you can Skills
smell it, but the truth is, you can sense them from further Athletics: 2 Climbing: 2
than that. The way crowds move away from them out of Detect: 4 Intimidation: 4
abject fear while trying not to spook them; it’s an animalistic
reaction that you get, with the hairs on the back of your neck Melee Weapons: 4 Streetwise: 3
standing up as there is something so obviously wrong about Survival: 4 Tactics: 3
to appear. They say Dream Entities are more terrifying, Torture: 4 Unarmed Combat: 4
more visceral, but I’ve never seen one so I can’t answer that.
If I see a Manchine and I’ve seen a few more than I’d like to Equipment & Abilities
be honest, I call it in and leave it to the Ops. Let them fuckers Claws/Teeth, Manchine Blades, Assorted Power
deal with it.” Tools (treat as Generic Unpowered Melee Weapons),
- Shiver Sgt. Elle Panser, Sector 3, District 103 Manchine Body (PV: 12, Resistance: 30).
BRUTE
The MkVII, the Manchine Brute, is a much larger creation,
around the size of a Shaktar or Stormer. Designed to travel
off-world with Stormer 313s, they can use larger equipment,
but no Brute has been observed with any of the weapons they
were designed to use. Instead, they use large clubs, makeshift
blades or powered tools. Rarer than the standard Manchine,
they tend to be more violent than their smaller cousins.
Manchine Brute
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 4 2 2
0 5 0 +7
37 3 7
Skills
Melee Weapons: 3 Streetwise: 3

Mechanised Punch, Claws/Teeth, Generic Unpowered
Melee Weapons, Mauler Axes or other CS1 weapons,
Manchine Body (PV: 14, Resistance: 40).
84
MANCHINES
damaged Manchine can turn itself into a working model,

HARDWARE even if it has to use fabricated make-shift replacement parts,
A Manchine is made of machinery and flesh, typically a leading to some odd-looking Manchines shuffling around
metal alloy skeleton covered in human skin. As dictated by the shadows of Downtown.
their programming, Manchines attempt to pass themselves On rare occasions, a Manchine will call out for help and
off as humans, wearing coats to cover their body and using even rarer, another Manchine may come to their aid, fixing
flesh to cover the parts the coat can’t hide. or patching parts beyond self-repair.
BLADES, CLAWS AND TOOLS UPGRADES, DOWNGRADES

AND SIDEGRADES
The common configuration of a Manchine harks back to
the core of the original six-legged tank frame. The robotic In the last six centuries, Manchines have not remained the
central nervous system was designed around a brain in the same. They get old, replace parts and evolve their thinking,
Manchine’s head, the power source and limb controls in leading to a remarkable variation in what a standard
the torso and six limbs; two arms, two legs and two horrific Downtown Manchine is. Most of them fall into the Urbanite
blades on long metal bones. These blades are the Manchine’s or Brute categories, but even then, time takes its toll and
primary offensive weapons, with their long claws and teeth non-standard Manchines turn up.
serving as backup weapons. Manchines are also known to use If you need a non-standard Manchine, here are some tables
clubs, bladed weapons and powered tools. When they lose to generate your own designs. You can either choose from
limbs, they will replace them with all manner of dangerous the tables or let the dice decide what happened. There will
extensions. be some examples after the tables. Use 1d10 on these tables.
SELF-CARE “It’s a bit smelly, even for a sewer. That’s the Manchineplasm
Manchines are built for survival and can look after that these Manchines from out in the sectors drag in with
themselves, maintaining their moving parts, repairing or them. It’s a good signifier that there’s a Manchine nearby”.
replacing components as needed. Over time, a broken or - Vic McLug, Frother, SCL 7.1b, Squad ‘Oh My Jings’
85
SECTIONS
Roll on the sections tables to determine where the
Manchine differs from the standard Urbanite or Brute base.
Each roll will determine whether or not you need to roll on
the variations tables. Legs
Torso
Roll Result
Roll Result 1-8 Normal
1-9 Normal 9 Roll on Legs Table
0 Roll on Torso Table 0 Roll on Legs Table Twice
Head Control
Roll Result Roll Result
1-9 Normal 1-9 Normal
0 Roll on Head Table 0 Roll on Control Table
Arms Brain
1-8 Normal 1-8 Normal
9 Roll on Arms Table 9 Roll on Brain Table
0 Roll on Arms Table Twice 0 Roll on Control Table and Brain Table
86
MANCHINES
“Just when you think you’ve nailed the bastards down, they
VARIATIONS TABLES surprise you with a drain pump for a leg, an oil can for an
Once you have clarified what variations the Manchine has, arm or some other crap. Manchines, they’re ingenous little
either by rolling or by choice, use the following tables to shits, you know.”
determine which modifications are fitted. - Bilt Ment, Operative, SCL 8.0c, Squad ‘ Fishlips’
Torso Table Legs Table

1 Weak Torso 1 Fast Legs
2 Strong Torso 2 Power Legs
3 Really Strong Torso 3 Blade Foot
4 Extra Limbs 4 Chicken Legs
5 Backup System 5 Quadrapedal Articulation
6 Fusion Accelerator 6 Extendable Legs
7 Chest Blades 7 Prehensile Feet
8 Electric Shock 8 Ad-hoc Replacement
9 Slow Pump 9 Fused Leg
0 Knackered 0 No Legs
Head Table Control Table
1 Olfactory Prowess 1 Split Control Unit
2 Blind 2 Backup Control Unit
3 Full IR/Motion 3 Speedup Boost
4 Increased Sensor Range 4 Evasion and Evacuation Unit
5 Head Blades 5 Tactical Fire Control System
6 Power Teeth 6 Tactical Assessment Unit
7 Integrated Flamethrower 7 Vehicular Control Module
8 Roll on Brain Table 8 Advanced Mimicry System
9 Roll on Control Table 9 Re-education Unit
0 Roll on Control Table and Brain Table 0 Roll on Brain Table and Re-roll Here
Arms Table Brain Table

1 Broken Arm 1 Backup Brain
2 Blade Hand 2 SLA Orders
3 Fine Hand 3 Loyalty
4 Replaced Arm 4 Daily Memory
5 Two Hand 5 First Responder Upgrade
6 Tool Hands 6 Factory Showroom Brain
7 Specialist Tool Hand 7 War World Recall
8 Crude Tool Hand 8 Sneaky
9 Rotten Hand 9 The Curious Tale of Romeo and Mr Hydes
0 Lump 0 Roll on Control Table and Re-roll Here
87
MODS Fusion Accelerator

Every round the Fusion Accelerator is
Each modification has an effect on the Manchine, described
active the Manchine doubles its Closing
in the following tables.
and Rushing speeds and gains a second
Some mods, marked with an asterisk, use special rules. action with which it can either make a
Special Rules Melee Attack, Run or Charge. All actions
Effect
are declared at the same point in the
Death Spider Rolls: Manchines often have secondary initiative round. After taking this second
blades dotted around their person, On occasion varying action the Manchine rolls 1d10. If the
situations will trigger a Death Spider Roll. To make this result is greater than it’s STR attribute it
roll simply roll 1d10 and add the number of Death Spider takes the roll as Damage (ignoring PV).
Blades the Manchine possesses. If the roll is equal to 11 The Manchine has a system akin to an early
or more, the triggered Death Spider Blade hits and deals model of variable power fusion drive. It can
damage as normal. set its reactor to short bursts of maximum
Description
Mods: Torso acceleration allowing the Manchine to
catch up with common civilian automotives
Weak Torso at the risk of its structural integrity.
Effect Lower Hit Points and Armour.
Chest Blades*
The Manchine has a weak torso, either
Should the Manchine ever suffer a Bite
through previous damage or general wear
Description or similar attack it can immediately
and tear over the centuries. This lowers the
Effect make a Death Spider Roll. If this is
Manchine’s Hit Points by 10 and PV by 6.
successful it deals damage as Mandibles
Strong Torso and uses all the rules for such.
Effect Additional Hit Points and STR. The Manchine has a hinged pair
The Manchine has +1 STR and of pendulum-like blades capable of
Description striking on either side of its body.
5 additional Hit Points.
Description These are of limited utility as a
Really Strong Torso defensive spur, but can serve to fend
Effect Additional Hit Points, Armour and STR. off fauna hazards or trap them while it
butchers them with its other blades.
The Manchine has +1 STR, 10
Description
additional Hit Points and Resistance. Electric Shock
Extra Limbs The Manchine’s melee attacks
Effect gain +2 damage and the Stunner
The Manchine can make a single extra special rule (see page 213).
Effect
melee attack, though this is at -3 penalty.
The Manchines reactor is connected to
With supplemental mid back shoulder Description its spurs allowing them to jolt targets
joints, the Manchine is capable of with powerful electric shocks.
mounting two additional limbs. These
Description
limbs are usually (1-8) Simple Arms, Slow Pump
but on occasion serve as multipurpose The Manchine has suffered significant
limbs with Prehensile Hands (9-0). Effect internal damage with intermittent
Backup System system failures across all systems.
Upon reaching 0 Hit Points the Manchine The Manchine suffers -3 on all Skill Tests
Description
Effect retreats for 1d10 rounds as its Internal and acts last in the initiative round.
Repair Systems restore 2d10 Hit Points. Knackered
The Manchine has been programmed to Every Round The Manchine can roll 1d10,
retreat from imminent system failures in Effect on a 10 it can act last in the initiative
order that it might “live to fight another round, on a 1 it loses 1d10 Hit Points.
Description
day” It will move at the highest speed it
can muster and will usually have a “lair” A Manchine with a Knackered torso is near
where it keeps spare parts and trophies. Description death. They can barely move their limbs
and are as near death as a machine can be.
88
MANCHINES
Mods: Head “As I observed the squad to which I had been assigned
approach the befleshed, yet nonetheless silvered, automata, I
Olfactory Prowess can honestly say, dear Rosanthepra, that the last thing I was
Effect Stealth +1. expecting was for flames to spew forth from its gaping maw.
I can honestly say I have now seen everything.
Manchines that can smell, know
when they stink. A Manchine with Sleep well and kiss your mother for me. Only another year
Olfactory Prowess will have flesh that before I return to you both. I am counting the days.
Description
doesn’t smell and this makes them - Menat Kotep, Neophron Operative, squad “Kleppoes”
capable of hiding away without being
spotted by the smell of rotting flesh. Integrated Flamethrower
Blind Effect As per Klippo K1 Inferno with a Clip of 1.
Effect -3 Detect and Ranged attack rolls. The Manchines head has a single use
Flamethrower built into the mouthpiece.
The light filtration systems of the
Fuel for this can be manufactured in a
Manchine is significantly degraded Description
Description micro-methane plant contained in the
to the point where it can make out
Manchines torso so that the unit can
shapes but little in the way of detail.
be deployed once every 24 hours.
Full IR/Motion Mods: Arms
Effect Detect +1.
Broken Arm
A Full IR/Motion package allows a
Manchine to see in total darkness, as When attempting to use the broken
Description arm, the Manchine has a -2 penalty
opposed to just low light and increases
their ability to detect movement nearby. Effect for all tasks and is incapable of using
it to perform skills needing fine
Increased Sensor Range manipulation(e.g. Demolitions or Medical).
Effect Detect +1, Hearing: Good. One of the Manchines arms is damaged
Description
Increased Sensor Range allows a and incapable of fine manipulation.
Manchine to know the location of more
Description Blade Hand
Manchines than normal and gives them
early warnings of approaching creatures. The Manchine gains a melee weapon that
cannot be disarmed. This removes one of
Head Blades* Effect
its hands causing it to count as broken
When facing a character that has not for tasks requiring fine manipulation.
seen Head Blades deployed, or when The Manchine, whether through design
suffering a Bite or similar attack, the or later modification, has traded a hand
Effect
manchine can make a Death Spider Roll. for a blade. This might be a simple shard
If it hits, it deals damage as Mandibles Description
of rough steel or a more technological
and uses all the rules for such. weapon like a Chuckleduster, either way
In addition to the usual Claw and Bite it makes for a more dynamic handshake.
attacks this Manchine has an extendable
Fine Hand
Description jaw akin to that of a Fleshworm. This
can be deployed in surprising and deadly +1 on all Computer, Lock Pick and
Effect
fashion to those unaware of this feature. Technical Skills, -2 STR for that limb.
This hand module replaces the standard
Power Teeth
robust Manchine hand with a more fragile
Attacks made with a Manchine’s hand consisting of up to a dozen digits
Effect bite deal an extra 1d10 damage capable of acting as fingers or thumbs
on Excellent attack rolls. and performing incredibly intricate tasks.
Description
The Manchine’s bite mechanism consists While ill suited to combat activities and
of actively moving individual teeth heavy lifting, this module is capable of
Description fitting into narrow spaces and performing
that when they close upon a target
shred it much like a metal shredder. repairs as if the Manchine had multiple
regular hands dedicated to the task.
89
Tool Hand
+2 on Technical Skills, -1
Effect
STR for that limb.
Built for general construction purposes
this hand module has been replaced
Description
with a set of tools that can be used
for all general maintenance tasks.
Specialist Tool Hand

Choose one Technical skill. When
performing this skill the Manchine can
Effect reroll any dice that fail to roll a Success.
If the Manchine rolls a 10 on any dice
the test is automatically passed.
Designed for one, highly limited task
Description
this arm is the epitome of performance.
Crude Tool Hand

When attempting to use the Crude
Tool Hand on Technical Skills, the
Manchine suffers a -1 penalty. For all
Effect
other Skill Tests this becomes a -2
penalty with the exception of Unarmed
Combat, where it grants a +1 bonus.
Due to a lack of parts in the blasted
Replaced Arm hellscape that is CS1 the Manchine’s
Roll again to see what type of arm hand module has been replaced
Effect this is, then apply a -1 DEX penalty Description with an ill conceived combination
to all actions with that arm. of Hammer/Screwdriver/Wrenches.
After some after-market refurbishment While dangerous, it is only occasionally
this Manchine has an arm that is useful for practical tasks.
from a different subvariant. While Rotten Hand
Description placed side by side the two subvariants
have little obvious differences, their -1 STR, When the Manchine makes
interconnectivity is not supported making a successful Melee attack the target
Effect
the limb less tactile than normal. must make an immediate IR 8
check or suffer 1 extra damage.
Two Hands The metal frame of this limb has become
Regular Hand and a Tool Hand (1-3), brittle and infected with a persistent
Regular Regular Hand and a Fine Hand toxin that is harmful to living organisms.
Description
Effect (4-6), or a Tool Hand and a Specialist Tool Try as the Manchine might, any flesh
Hand (7-9) or a combination of a Fine placed on this limb will become rotten
Hand, Blade Hand and Tool Hand (0). within a day and noticeably reek.
The Manchine has an additional hand Lump
module built into its arm. It can choose
Description When attempting to use the limb the
which hand is in use at any time. Usually
this is for personal maintenance. Manchine has a -1 penalty for all tasks
Effect
and is incapable of using it to perform
skills needing any sort of manipulation.
The Manchine has suffered the loss
of a hand or arm and as yet failed to
Description replace it. The limb may or may not
include a slagged bludgeon, but is
unbalanced and ill suited for most tasks.
90
MANCHINES
Mods: Legs Extendable Legs

Fast Legs Effect +1 Climbing, +1 Swimming.
The Manchine gains Athletics: 3 and +1 to With retractable runners, these retractable
Effect stilts allow the Manchine to gain an extra 3
its Closing and +4 to its Rushing speed.
feet of height. While this can occasionally
With advanced joint mechanics and Description
be precarious, this is often all a Manchine
Description precision hydraulics this Manchine has needs to easily enter second story
been upgraded for pursuit purposes. windows and wade through most ponds.
Power Legs Prehensile Feet
The Manchine gains the Megafauna +1 to Acrobatics and Detect rolls
Effect attack. If the Manchine is a Brute it Effect
made within close proximity.
can add its STR to the damage.
The foot modules of this unit can be
By significantly upgrading the Manchine’s extended to function as regular hands
legs and lower back the unit gains and provide additional tactile sensory
Description the ability to an enhanced lifting Description data. This grants the Manchine greater
capability which it can apply at pace opportunity to obtain items dropped by
to devastate structures and vehicles. its victims, hang from suitably strong
Blade Foot* objects and spot tripwires or similar traps.
If a character becomes prone next to the Ad-hoc Replacement
Manchine It can make an immediate The Manchine’s Closing speed decreases
Effect Effect
Death Spider Roll, if this is successful by 1 and Rushing speed decreases by 3.
it deals damage as a Manchine Blade.
The Manchine has lost a leg at some
The Manchine has a blade mounted point and jury-rigged a replacement.
upon its leg. This is largely used to Description This might be a semi-functional
Description attend to targets that have fallen replacement from another Manchine
before it, while other blades deal or something much cruder.
with the target’s colleagues.
Fused Leg
Chicken Legs
-1 to Melee attacks, +1 PV, -5
+1 to Closing Speed, Rifles +1 rank, Effect
Effect Hit Points and Resistance.
Unarmed Combat -1 rank.
A source of significant heat has fused the
By reorientating the articulations of the joints of the hip, knee and ankle of one of
Manchine’s legs, the Manchine can be this unit’s legs. Even the pins that would
granted a faster basic travel speed and a Description
normally allow for an easy replacement
more stable platform for firing ranged are swollen forcing the Manchine to
Description weapons. This orientation tends to reduce limp until a third party attends to it.
the Manchine’s height by approximately
half a metre, making the unit a superior No Legs
squad support unit at the cost of a -2 to Melee attacks, -2 PV, -10
minor deficiency in close combat. Effect
Hit Points and Resistance.
Quadrapedal Articulation The Manchine has taken significant
+1 Climbing, The Manchine suffers damage and has been bisected.
Effect no ill effects from being prone Description Forced to use its arms for locomotion
and can crawl at full speed. it is as fast as normal but less able
to take advantage in melee.
With joints designed to support
Quadrapedal movement the Manchine “Thems don’t needs legs, see. Them’s smart. See that Trolley
Description
is adapted to better progress through Bob? That’s got no legs, but he’s quick an’ all. I saws ‘im on
tight confines and climb structures. the telly, I did.”
- Grem Parcelfad, Manchine enthusiast and Television
afficionado, Downtown Sector 3, District 8
91
Mods: Control Tactical Fire Control System*

Split Control Unit* Anyone foolish enough to stand or move in
front of the Manchine takes an immediate
Every round the Manchine makes Ranged Combat Attack and is struck by
Effect a Melee attack it can also make 1 round on a roll of 10(9 if the unit has
two Death Spider attacks. Chicken Legs) on 1d10. The Manchine
The shell of this Manchine has a dedicated, also gains the Pistol Skill at 1 rank and can
but limited supplemental system to manage Effect opt to attack normally using this weapon.
its Manchine blades. So long as the Brain This adds 1 to the number of Death
Description
is active and giving the command to Spider attacks the Manchine possesses
engage, both bladed limbs will strike at but is not itself a Death Spider attack.
the nearest aggressive party within range.
The weapon is similar to the
Backup Control Unit GA50 Finisher with a 200 rd
When the Manchine takes 6 or more internal drum magazine.
damage from an attack it only ever loses One of the earliest Manchine control
Effect 5 Hit Points. The exception to this is systems, the Tactical Fire Control System
when the damage comes from a Blast, is a simple optics package mated with a
which affects the Manchine as normal. Torso mounted automatic weapon. The
The Manchine’s control mechanism Description system serves as a very conservative area
consists of redundant back-up systems denial system. The weapon is reloaded
designed to activate whenever significant through a port in the Manchine’s mouth
Description damage is taken. Attacks that would with spent or incompatible rounds ejected
reduce a Manchine to scrap can be periodically as its internal waste bucket fills.
avoided and repairs can be made without Tactical Assessment Unit
bringing components off-line.
Most Manchines are far too paranoid
Speedup Boost* to listen to Tactical Assessment Unit
The Manchine gains +2 Closing speed, broadcasts, but once a Manchine connects
attacks against it suffer a -2 penalty and to a broadcasting Tactical Assessment
it can make a second Melee attack with Unit it gains all the information that
Effect Tactical Assessment Unit has processed
a -3 penalty. This adds 1 to the number Effect
of Death Spider attacks the Manchine and gains 2 ranks in Stealth and Tactics
possesses but is not a Death Spider attack. for the next attack it makes. Hacking a
Tactical Assessment Unit requires a Radio
The Manchine has a rapid reaction linked Computer or Manchine head and
Description system that allows it to rapidly pivot a Difficulty 13 Computer Skill Test. This
and react to emerging situations. effectively negates the above bonuses.
Evasion and Evacuation Unit The Tactical Assessment Unit is a broadcast
When reduced to 0 Hit Points the shell of system that provides up to the minute
the Manchine will use its remaining limbs tactical information to any Manchine
to flee from its opponents. Unlike a back- currently listening to radio communication
Description
Effect up brain it is incapable of tactical thought channels. While this is fairly rare now,
and simply moves in the opposite direction when it is employed by Manchines it
at full speed, stopping for barriers but only allows for precise planned attacks without
recognising pits on a roll of a 10 on 1d10. individual units needing to communicate.
Designed to report back to its comrades Vehicular Control Module
with forward intelligence, the EEU The Manchine gains the Pilot skill at 2
Description accepts the temporary loss of the brain in Effect ranks for all vehicles and can make vehicle
favour of returning back with whatever related Skill Tests as auxillary actions.
video coverage it was able to obtain.
The Manchine is designed to act as a
Description replacement pilot and can disregard locks,
forcibly interfacing with vehicular systems.
92
MANCHINES
Advanced Mimicry System “Look, he’s called Blondie or she’s called Blondie, I don’t
know. Yes it used to have blonde hair and that’s rotted off,
After listening to a language for 4 hours but it’s Blondie, right? Right.”
the AMS can deconstruct its local
- Shiver Pvt. Part Gelco, Sector 4, District 72
peculiarities. So long as the language is
stored in the Manchine’s memory, this
Effect grants a +1 to Language, Stealth and Re-Education Unit
Streetwise Skill Tests when interacting This Manchine gains the Leadership
with locals. The unit also allows the skill at 2 ranks and can use a difficulty
Manchine to make a Computer Skill 13 Torture Skill Test to change another
Test to decrypt radio communications. Manchine’s brain to “Daily Memory”,
Effect
The AMS was designed to facilitate “Loyalty”, or “SLA Orders.” Once it
communication with civilians through has updated the other Manchine it
their local patois, dialects and slang. After gets a lot of latitude in determining
initial testing it proved to be much more what its “patient” believes.
Description successful at providing auditory camouflage This Manchine is designed to recover
for the approaching Manchine and these damaged Manchine Brains and re-
units were upgraded with radio scanners Description
orientate them through the means
so that they could listen into enemy of electro-shock recalibration.
communications and sow disinformation.
93
Mods: Brain First Responder Upgrade

Backup Brain Gains the following skills:
Effect Admin & Finance: 2, Forensics:
Even if reduced to 0 Hit Points the 1, Medical: 1, Oratory: 2.
Manchine will live on. Its backup brain
Effect will stealthily come on line 1d10-5 rounds With detailed schematics of numerous
after being taken offline with 2d10 Hit species the First Responder Upgrade
Points. Roll on the Brain table as normal. is designed to perform emergency
medical procedures using its existing
Designed for use in the harshest blades and utensils and a supplemental
environments this unit has a secondary Description
alcoholic cleansing spray. Note: First
brain with its own independent Responder Upgrades are deployed at
connections to the physical shell. It the discretion of the unit’s commanding
Description
is capable of coming back online and officer with no implication of
performing repairs on itself, though warranty or liability for mishap.
priority one will be to remove any
impediments to the process. Factory Showroom Brain
SLA Orders Gains the following: CHA 2, Diplomacy:
2, Gambling: 1, Haggle: 1, Languages
Effect KNOW +1. (All): 1, Persuasion: 1, Read Lips: 1,
The Manchine had a mission implanted Effect
Seduction: 1, Sleight: 1, Streetwise:
before being sent into the world and it 1, Delusion: 2 (I’m a Human) and 4
recognises that this mission has become points of psychosis traits (virtual).
impossible to complete. To remedy the The Factory Showroom Brain was a
Description
situation, it will now perform the actions rushed, more social version of the standard
it believes necessary to create a situation combat model. In addition to its usual
where mission completion is possible. If it combat skill suite it was overloaded with
needs to restart a war to do this. So be it! useless interactive skills to make it more
Description
Loyalty palatable for media tours. Alas when
released into the active service these
Characters with SCL 8 or better can
brains devolved faster than any of the
attempt to command the Manchine
others and gained numerous affectations
with a Difficulty 8 Leadership Test.
Effect that can only be likened to psychosis.
On a serious failure it will believe
the Operative giving commands is a War World Recall
DarkNight insurgent or similar threat. The unit can use it’s Torture skill in
The Manchine’s notoriously fragile lieu of Intimidation or any combat
loyalty programming remains intact Effect
related skill, Reduce CHA to -3. Gain
and it still recognises SLA clearance Delusion: Everyone is an insurgent.
information despite the centuries of Some of the factory showroom models
Description
rebranding and redesign that the ID sent out for early testing, began mirroring
badges have undergone. For all intents the veterans that they were assigned to and
and purposes the Manchine is Mr had to be recalled. While this mirroring
Slayer’s most willing attack dog. would not have been an issue on Mort,
Description
Daily Memory where it could be properly monitored,
in the field they often learnt the various
The Manchine has -2 KNOW
survival appropriate tendencies that
Effect and no ability to retain short
are well documented in the veterans,
term memories beyond a day.
commonly called Ex-War Criminals.
At the end of each day, the Manchine’s
Description memory is purged. Only core programming Sneaky
and communal data remains. Effect +2 Read Lips, +2 Stealth, +2 Tracking.
The Manchine has advanced Hunter
Description Killer software designed to facilitate
its approach on subversive targets.
94
MANCHINES
The Curious Tale of Romeo and Mr Hydes CANCHINE

Roll again on this table. When this
With no remaining limbs, Canchine is more tin can than
unit is Romeo it counts as a factory
a functioning death machine. Everyone thinks he’s trash but
showroom model. When this unit is
Effect he’s found in a disused building by a bunch of kids who get
Hyde it has the other brain’s skills and
scared when he lights up and starts telling them to do stuff.
demeanour. If you roll this twice it
When Canchine was once moved, two Manchines put him
gains another 2 Hyde personalities.
back. The building is off limits to locals, as they’re scared.
While not an intentional feature, this
brain has developed a type of Dissociative Mods: Backup System, Increased Sensor Range, Lump
Identity Disorder. So long as the Manchine x2, No Legs.
believes that it has been accepted as
Description
a human, it behaves in a lothario-like
manner. Alas it needs constant positive
MANCHINES AS PLAYABLE
reinforcement or it will pattern shift CHARACTERS
into its alternative personality.
Manchines are available as a playable character to join
Operative Squads, even though SLA Industries doesn’t
MANCHINE NPCS technically allow this. Player character Manchines are loyal
to SLA and will want to serve the company by joining
Here are four Manchine NPCs that you can use as
an Operative squad. Manchine characters are treated as
encounters for Operatives wandering Lower Downtown.
property rather than squad members and as such don’t need
SCL cards to travel with a squad.
ROGUE VETERAN
Manchines make decisions based on programming with
An old warrior awakens. He’s notable by his highly visible insight provided by a proprietary biogenetic control unit
retooling, as he raided hardware stores and garages to repair that may be organic and is brain-like in its nature, allowing
his broken parts and to improve his design over the centuries. them to be played as independant thinkers that can get their
He’s got it in his mind that he needs to kill an old enemy of decisions overruled by programming. This allows players to
SLA and is planning a raid on a Shiver outpost. He’s on and play the Manchine as a regular Operative but can limit some
off the grid and is very hard to find. of their deciscions, removing their ability to lie, cheat or
mislead unless permitted to do so by a SLA Operative.
Mods: SLA Orders, Speedup Boost, Blade Hand.
Deception is at the heart of a Manchine’s programming,
but that deception is geared towards infiltration, with some
TROLLEY BOB
Manchines believing they are human and others knowing
Trolley Bob is a Manchine in sector 243-12 that begs on the they’re playing the role of a human.
streets. His lower torso was removed by a Greater Carrien, What a Manchine is, to an Operative squad, is a loyal
whose hide now covers Bob’s shoulders and replaced with member that will defend them and work as a member of
a cart made of assorted wheels. He thinks he’s passing for the team, but one that cannot deviate from serving SLA
human, having seen an old legless soldier beg like this on his Industries. They have a low opinion of life as they don’t
travels, but everyone knows he’s a Manchine and treats him understand mortality to a significant degree. However, the
as a local feature. Bob is armed with shoulder blades under longer they spend in the company of Operatives, the more
the Carrien hide that ensure he’s left alone. “human” they will become, as their biogenetic brain learns to
work like the species they work alongside.
Mods: No Legs, Really Strong Torso.
“We were working through a section of Downtown when
NEARLY-DEAD AGGIE we heard the unmistakable screeching of Manchine blades.
Aggie is very much on his last legs. Once he meets I’ve encountered them before, out in the sectors, and the
Operatives, it becomes clear he’s been waiting for a while. overwhelming advice I got was to run away. There’s no
He gives his final garbled report and dies. The ensuing shame in it, they said.
vacuum caused by his passing triggers a fight over territory Anyway, this terrifying Manchine turned the corner,
amongst his Manchine neighbours. One that the Operatives looked straight at us and asked ‘What’s the plan?’
are in the middle of. Fucking Three-Star, he’s a legend.”
Mods: Knackered. - Shiver Pvt. Grey Malcolm, Sector 3, District 108
95
you wear flesh and clothes. You can’t scare them when you’re
MANCHINE one of them.
“I am human. I wear human skin, so I must be human. You are, after all, human. I become you.
SLA Industries made me to be human and SLA Industries Background
is infallible, so I am human.
Originally a late-200s War World design by Killa Chassis,
I serve SLA Industries. You say I was lost, but I wasn’t lost,
Manchines briefly found their true purpose on Mort,
I was seeking. I was trapped in the mesh but now I am free,
serving as policing units and crowd control. After a few
and I have found you. You are SLA Industries so I serve you.
well-publicised disasters, the most famous of which was
I am a human in your squad, like the Shaktar is a human, arch-Manchine Digger leading an exodus of riot control
like the Wraithen is a human. I belong. Manchines into Cannibal Sector 1, SLA Industries shelved
I will fight for you, I will protect you, I will keep you safe. their plans and threw their weight behind the Stormer
That’s what SLA Industries built me for.” program, ending all serious attempts at getting cybernetics
to be a part of SLA Industries’ strategy. The last generation
- Clack-clack, Manchine, Squad ‘Serendipitous Needle’
of Manchines had a biogenetic component to help speed
Insight up decision making, and it is theorised that this proto-
brain is the reason Manchines are still around Mort, giving
You were built for the Piper Riot in 300sd or you were six hundred year old machines the ability, albeit on a small
made to seek out subversives in Downtown Sector 5 or you scale, to learn how to improvise and develop a true survival
were built to support an off-world Death Squad. None of instinct.
this matters because you are a SLA Industries Operative, or
With the smarter wandering Manchines, some retain an
as near as SLA Industries will let you be.
unwavering programatic loyalty to SLA Industries, and with
You escaped the clutches of Digger, or you woke up in the shifting threats on Mort, the company has lifted the
Downtown and remembered your orders, or you were destruction order on Manchines and has allowed Operative
wandering the streets, looking for purpose. None of this squads to make use of any loyal Manchines they find, within
matters because you are not alone any more, and SLA reason.
Industries needs you to be your best.
In 915sd, Manchines displaying loyalty to SLA Industries
You were a brute or an infiltrator or a defender, but none of were ruled to be allowed to become property of Operative
this matters because you do whatever SLA Industries needs squads willing to accept the responsibility of owning one.
you to do. Manchines don’t learn as well as regular Operatives, but they
When SLA Industries recalled the Manchines, you stayed don’t need to improve much on what is already a solid and
out. You knew the order wasn’t for you. It was for the other dangerous design.
Manchines, those who lost their purpose, those who tried to Manchines are seeing use as Operatives in squads that deal
escape, but not you. You might not remember why you didn’t with esoteric challenges as they are remarkably resilient to
return for deprogramming, so many memories and not all the mental effects of Dream Entites and similar challenges.
of them are yours, but you knew you had a reason. None of Sometimes, having a seven-foot tall killing machine on your
that matters because the hunt ended and SLA Industries has side helps against illusions and fear.
welcomed you back.
When it comes to decision making, Manchines are
You found a squad, or a squad found you, but none of that incapable of true independent decision-making and operate
matters because you have a squad. at a simplistic level based on their program and learned
As a SLA Industries Operative, or as near an Operative as behaviour. Six hundred years of surviving in sewers or the
SLA Industries will let you be, you are part of a team. You cannibal sectors hasn’t required much thought beyond
don’t have an SCL badge like your comrades, but you don’t determining threat levels and finding spare parts and
need one. You have six limbs and an armoured torso. You upgrades.
are dangerous, but not to SLA Industries. They let you go Some squads treat Manchines like mascots or pets with
anywhere with your squad. blades, but occasionally they are treated like equals and
You don’t need to wait for orders from a command centre this is where they truly thrive. A well-trained and nurtured
any more or live in the web of noise that keeps you passive. Manchine is more than just a weapon to be unleashed and
You’re an Operative now, or as near to one as SLA Industries can serve as a valuable squad member.
will let you be. In these early days of Manchine use in Operative squads,
The further from your past you get, the less it matters and there are plenty of promising reports and very, very few
the less you remember. where it fails catastrophically.
You know you are terrifying when people recognise you as
a metal machine, but that doesn’t matter any more because
96
MANCHINES
Appearance
Manchine Operatives are the size of a large human, being
designed by Killa Chassis to fit in the seat of an APC and
use human tools. They still wear human flesh but some
have been convinced to wear synthetic materials or animal
skins at the urging of their squamates, helping a lot with
the pervasive Manchine smell of decaying flesh and dirty
machinery.
Occasionally, a Manchine will latch onto a trinket or a
fetish that they thinks makes them more human. This can be
a wig, a doll, a hat, a personal organiser or anything else that
feels like it’s the sort of thing a person would carry around.
As well as being draped in human flesh, Manchines cover
up their bodies and limbs with great coats, a single garment
that covers up as much of their metal as possible, especially
those bits the flesh just drops off of. Along with a pair of
solid boots, this is usually all a Manchine wears, although
this varies with individuals, especially with trophy hunters
who wear the flesh of their toughest victims, be it Greater
Carrien, Carnivorous Pigs or even Scavs.
Manchines that can’t use firearms may still occasionally
carry one as a trinket.
Species Abilities
Manchine Blades - Manchines have six limb hard points,
four of which are occupied with arms and legs. The
remaining two, mounted on their upper back, are fitted
with long, distinctive blades (See page 99).
Slow Learner - Manchines start with multiple skills at
higher level than a starting Operative, but they don’t
advance as quickly. They must spend half their experience
points on the Humanity skill.
Modification - A Manchine Operative may start with one
modification and choose to pay 5 Skill Points to gain a
second randomly chosen modification. All modifications
are subject to the GM’s approval.
Lifespan: Until destroyed.

Height/Weight: 6ft-7ft.
Strengths: Loyal, strong, lethal.
Weaknesses: Struggles with fitting in, difficult for people
to get past the smell and appearance.
Assigned Equipment: Coat, Trinket (optional), Claws/
Teeth, Manchine Blades, assorted power tools (treat as
Generic Unpowered Melee Weapons), Manchine Body
(PV: 12, Resistance: 30).
Hit Points and Movement: Manchines start with 21 Hit
Points, plus their STR, and a Movement of 3 Closing and
7 Rushing.
Traits: Manchines can’t assign Traits.
97
JOINING A SQUAD Starting Skills

When a Manchine joins a squad, it will have recently
woken up; the computer that governs its programming Languages (Killian): 1 Languages (Grind): 1
will have started functioning once more, be it through the
radio networking in their brain failing or just a remapping MANCHINE PACKAGES
of its brain computer through trauma or deterioration.
A player gets to choose their Manchine’s background,
With this happening more often than not these days, due
giving it the equivalent of an Operative’s skill package.
to the Bellwood Campaign puttiong more SLA Influence
in Cannibal Sector 1 or with cults and Dream Entities Urbanite
changing the dynamics of Downtown, SLA Industries Requirements: None
realised that there was an unflux of loyal Manchines trying
to return to the fold and rescinded the general destruction An Urbanite Manchine spent the last six hundred years
order, offering a tenuous amnesty to any Manchines wanting plugged into the Downtown filigree radio network of
to come work for SLA. Manchines and is now free of any external influence. An
A freshly loyal Manchine would seek out any representative Urbanite’s CHA maximum is increased to three.
of SLA Industries and try to offer their services. Most Skills Provided:
Operative squads recieving the offer of a Manchine’s support
take it and once again the World of Progress adapts and
adopts. Melee Weapons: 2 Streetwise: 2
Usually, the first thing that happens is the Manchine gets Survival: 3 Tactics: 2
a name, either by choosing one or being assigned one by the Torture: 1 Unarmed Combat: 2
squad. Manchines that bring their own names would have
been given it by Cannibals, Downtown civilians or Shivers,
Brute
and these tend to be simple names based on appearance, Requirements: STR 5
noise or an incident. Clack-clack, Moonshine, Three-in-
This stronger variant has a very similar background to the
one-kebab, Sewerstink and Pigshiv are the sorts of names
Exile, only considerably more violent. A Brute’s maximum
Manchines turn up with, but ones without names, or ones
STR is increased to 6 and it’s maximum KNOW and
wanting to get a fresh start, will eagerly await being given a
CONC are decreased to three. The built-in armour of a
new name by their adoptive squad.
Brute’s Manchine Body is increased to PV: 14, Resistance:
Once joining up with Operatives, a Manchine becomes 40 and they gain 10 Hit Points.
property of that squad and has somewhere to hang its loyalty.
Skills Provided:
STARTING STATS AND SKILLS Detect: 1 Intimidation: 3
A Manchine as a player character starts much better off Melee Weapons: 3 Streetwise: 2
than an Operative, with base stats and skills higher than Survival: 3 Tactics: 1
most other species. Torture: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3
A Manchine only gets five starting points to spend
Exile
increasing stats and five points for Skills. Manchines can
only improve Charisma and Luck if they have the Humanity Requirements: KNOW 3
Skill at the correct level. (See page 99) The exile’s faded memory starts at the Piper Riot and
Manchine starting Stats & Skills ends at their exit of Salvation Tower as their loyalty to
SLA Industries returned. An Exile’s maximum KNOW is
Stat Initial Max increased to 6.
Strength (STR) 3 5 Skills Provided:
Dexterity (DEX) 3 5 Athletics: 1 Climbing: 1
Knowledge (KNOW) 2 5 Detect: 2 Intimidation: 2
Concentration (CONC) 2 5 Lore (Sector): 2 Melee Weapons: 2
Charisma (CHA) 0 2 Survival: 3 Tactics: 2
Cool (COOL) 4 6 Torture: 1 Unarmed Combat: 2
Luck (LUCK) 0 2
98
MANCHINES
War World Manchine Claws/Teeth Cost: N/A

Requirements: COOL 5 SKILL: Unarmed Combat
A War World Manchine started out off-world and was DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
returned to Mort to be scrapped. Somehow, it evaded STR 2 1 0
destruction and wandered the cannibal sectors until the
Note: Manchine Claws/Teeth do damage equal to
amnesty. Their maximum CONC is increased to 6.
their STR due to the sharp blades and teeth.
Skills Provided:
Manchine Blades
Two large blades attached to the upper back of a Manchine,
Lore (War World): 2 Melee Weapons: 2 these fearsome weapons are the Manchine’s deadliest attack.
Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2 Manchine Blades Cost: N/A
SKILL: Melee Weapons

MANCHINE SKILLS DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
As Manchines are designed for close-quarters combat, they 1d10+4 5 3 0
do not get to start with any firearms skills. These must be Note: A Manchine will use its blades only when
learned as part of character advancement. its claws or tools are not doing the job.
Humanity - This is a skill that can only be learned through Manchine Body
character progression and it must be the first skill a Player
spends Experience Points on. A Manchine with Humanity: There are two sizes of Manchine Body, the standard large
1 integrates into society better and can start spending human-sized body of an Urbanite, Exile and War World
experience points on CHA. A Manchine with Humanity: Manchine and the massive Shaktar-sized body of the
2 can start spending points on LUCK. At Humanity: 3, the Manchine Brute.
Manchine can gain a reputation and look for sponsorship Manchine Body Cost: N/A
deals at the same level as the SCL of their highest ranked
squadmate and at Humanity: 4, they can get an SCL and PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT
are allowed to own property and wealth. 12 30 0
Language (Grind) - Manchines have a verbal machine
Brute Manchine Body Cost: N/A
language that they can use to communicate with other
Manchines. Non-Manchines can learn to understand PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT
Grind, but cannot speak it as they lack the mechanical 14 40 0
parts required.
Detect Manchine - A Manchine with this skill can detect GETTING MODS
other Manchines nearby by tapping into the radio network.
As a Player Character, Mods can increase the Manchine’s
This also allows a Manchine to crudely map surrounding
already formidable strengths and should only be allowed with
areas if there are Manchines nearby. Wandering Manchines
the GM’s approval. A Manchine can gain one modification
use this skill to navigate Mort’s sewer system or the ruins of
at character generation instead of a stat increase, but this
the cannibal sectors with ease.
must be approved by the GM.
STARTING EQUIPMENT
CHARACTER PROGRESSION
A Manchine wears everything it owns. When one joins a
A Manchine does not get awarded XP at the end of a
squad, it carries the following equipment: Two power tools,
mission; they only get discretional points awarded for
a great coat, some sort of flesh draped over it and a trinket.
exceptional behaviour or making a difference, to the limit of
Alongside what it carries, a Manchine has built-in weapons
one point per adventure. Manchines can’t get SCL advances
and armour.
and cannot accumulate wealth unless their Humanity skill
Manchine Claws/Teeth reaches rank 4.
The basic attack of a Manchine is to get stuck in with its Manchines may start incredibly powerful, but they advance
claws and teeth. As these are built-in weapons, a Manchine slowly. They’ve not learned much in the last six hundred
cannot be disarmed. years and they have no intention of starting now.
99
SERIAL KILLERS
“SLA has created many great and awful things over
the centuries: the Stormer, the ChuckleDuster, the BPN
SAINT ALVIN
Terminal, Digger ... and of course, Bullet Tax. But there
is something equally loathsome but ever pervasive in Mort “In Alvin’s name, may the blood flow, the victim shriek and
City, which the company will never cop to: the Serial Killer. no trace be left in my wake.”
The true offspring of SLA Media.” Alvin, or Saint Alvin, was the first reported Serial Killer to
Billie Matlock, Human, Showrunner, stalk Mort City. He was never identified or caught and has
Channel Slice and Dice. been revered by generations of murderers ever since. As a
standalone killer there was nothing particularly exceptional
Serial Killers have existed in Mort City since the earliest about him. Alvin targetted the most common victim type:
days of The Formation. The stress of city living and an sex workers and set about his prey with what forensics
overbearing diet of televised violence, lurking horrors and speculated was a simple unpowered axe. After committing
high mortality rate in the Downtown streets creates a each murder he would always write ‘I am Alvin’ in blood on
toxic breeding ground for mass murderers. The highest the wall above his multilated victim.
concentration of Serial Killers exist in Downtown, where life The hunt for ‘Alvin’ rolled on for six years, in which time he
is hardship and a violent end is a near certainty. Murderers accrued 32 victims, although SLA Industries suspects there
can of course be found in Suburbia, where the same stressors were a lot more unreported murders commited by the killer
play out in the lives of SLA employees and their families, during The Formation Era. The investigation into Alvin
driving some weary factory workers to take out their rage ceased after there had been no more murders with blood
and frustration on random unsuspecting prey, however writing above the victims for two years and whoever he was
these forms of murderers do not so much resemble the wild, filed as a cold case.
flamboyant Serial Killers of Downtown.
The murderer is long dead, but the legend of Alvin lives
In more recent times, the Mesha Cult has been attempting on and has gradually become an aspirational figure in Serial
to absorb or destroy all the homicidal maniacs on Mort, Killer culture. As there is little indication of who or even
but with little success. Nonetheless, Cognates still thrive what Alvin was, the basis for worship of the individual
in all Downtown Districts. The differences between the varies greatly from one Killer to another. Some will seek
Mesha and Cognates are vast. The Serial Killers in Cognates his blessing to evade detection or capture, others want to
(Serial Killer collectives) are just people with murderous gain his perceived strength and ferocity and as a result the
tendencies and have existed in the World of Progress from members within can come to blows over the interpretation
the very beginning. The Mesha are killers also, but they have of the illusive Alvin. The common depictions of Saint Alvin
been warped by the mutagenic effects of Shatter and are involve a question mark replacing the face of the character,
considerably stronger, tougher and weirder individuals. worn as pendants or made into tattoos.
Conventional Serial Killers in Mort City have to rely on Serial Killers believe that bearing the symbol of Saint Alvin
their wits and whatever decent equipment they can get their will protect them in combat, or simply bring them luck and
nasty hands on if they wish to hunt and survive in such a fresh, juicy victims.
hostile environment. A place where they are far from the top
of the horrific food chain…
Serial Killer Cognates grew to prominence in the Era of THE HOMICIDAL PATTERN
Progress, driven by media thrills and unchecked rage. It
would usually begin as an accidental killing or rage fuelled The erosion of sanity comes very quickly in Mort City;
murder and once the fear of apprehension subsided and the transition from law-abiding Downtown Citizen to
there were no repercussions, such troubled individuals grew rampaging Serial Killer can take days, or even hours.
emboldened and got a real taste for the mayhem. Threat Analysis created the term: The Homicidal Pattern,
based on copious levels of research into Lone Wanderers
100
SERIAL KILLERS
and Cognates, countless interrogations gleaned from captive

murderers and terrified survivors from across Suburbia,
Downtown and the World of Progress.
What SLA Threat Analysts found was that there were
commonalities among the history files and interviews
conducted.They discovered Serial Killers were practically
non-existent in Uptown and Central and as the studies
travelled downward into the bowels of the City the homicidal
behaviour increased dramatically.
“When we put forth our initial findings to Head Office

we were somewhat scoffed at. ‘The deeper into the lower
Districts you go, the more Killers you encounter? And you
paid for these analytics?’ This was the mocking response. But
what they missed was not the commentary on Downtown,
but rather an important point about the top end of the City.
Yes, of course, Uptowners and such live better lives; more
fulfilling and greater opportunities and so did not feel the
need to seek revenge and sate dark desires.
But it didn’t factor the other aspects of high society - SLA
Operatives and Contract Killers have an outlet for their
ultra violent tendencies, as do SLA Corporates, particularly
affluent members of the Boom Families who start their
careers serving as Whips in Virtue Squads. We know these
young people abuse the powers granted them and their efforts
are typically far from noble.
The point we were making was that Serial Killers were
and still are, everywhere. In all walks of life. But in SLA
Industries how the murderer is categorised from region to
region differs dramatically.
What is the real difference between a masked madman in
Lower Downtown wielding a powered machete and our
own Frothers under the employ of SLA Industries? The knee
jerk response is: not very much. However, the more accurate
reply is: Sanctioning. One is legal, the other is not.
The Frother kills for SLA. The Serial Killer does it for
himself and this is something the company will not tolerate.”
Analyst Kedd Mendelsohn, Threat
Analysis - Serial Killing.
Serial Killing on Mort usually stems from the building

frustrations of civilian life, particularly in the Downtown
Districts. The vast majority of the people inhabiting the
region never see daylight and spend their whole lives in a
singular Sector. If they are lucky enough to have a job, it is
typically mundane with an endless cycle of mind numbing
routine that gradually wears down the civilian psyche.
Most people are unemployed however and sheer boredom
and confinement eats away at the mind, leaving crime, gangs
or even cults as the only way to chance a better life.
Compacting on this drudgery and risk are the extraneous
hostile factors; they are harried by Shiver Patrols, shaken
down by the street gangs they regret not joining and in the
worst cases, eaten alive by packs of prowling Carrien.
101
As a result, Civilians stay home to watch TV, growing Cognate leader and the chance a small disagreement will
angrier as the ceiling starts to leak, the neighbours who won’t turn into a slaughter-fest.
stop shouting at each other and playing their music in the
4. Get an Agent
early hours of the morning. The stress and frustration grows
and grows, until one day the butcher knife starts calling Once a Serial Killer gets a bit of a name for herself, or is
them from the kitchen drawer. connected with a renowned Cognate the task of attaining a
Something snaps in the civilian mind and the Homicidal ShowBiz Agent shouldn’t be too difficult. Agents are always
Pattern begins… on the hunt for fresh meat and as long as the emerging Killer
has a lick of common sense, an inventive style and a certain
1. Testing the Waters flair for murder: they’re in.
This is it, the hunting has begun. The Civilian becomes the A ShowBiz Agent will immediately get them to sign a
Serial Killer or at least that’s what he hopes. He impatiently contract and thus grant them protection under the Derwent
waits until the clock strikes midnight then ventures out into Act. The Agent gets them in with the television networks,
the Downtown streets in search of suitable prey. sponsorships and live events - all for 10% (with a few hidden
The chosen victim may be completely random or highly charges) of their potential income, plus whatever special
specific to the Killer’s taste, but whichever it is, it is this first dispensations crop up along the way to fame and glory.
murder that will dictate whether the individual is really up to 5. Enter the Mesha
the task and the career path that lies ahead.
The use of pharmaceuticals is common among Serial
Most gain an astounding thrill from the brutal act and in
Killers, who will partake in hallucinogens for recreation,
their troubled mind everything falls into place. It was simply
medical healing drugs to recover from injuries sustained
meant to be and tomorrow night’s kill will be even better.
during their nightly activities but most commonly they rely
It is during this initial phase that starting Serial Killers on combat drugs to give them that edge.
lose their lives. They are largely inexperienced characters and
Many Killers take to using Shatter - a combat drug that
all too often wander into the wrong territory (such as gang
is known to gradually mutate the user. Despite being a
turf ) and are gunned down or they themselves fall prey to a
popular choice among Serial Killers not all are reshaped by
deadlier killer, like an Urbanite Manchine or Dream Entity.
the drug and SLA’s Threat Analysis has performed extensive
It is usually the smart, patient and resourceful Killers who research as to why this is the case. They have no definitive
make it through alive and start developing some semblance answers as yet but they suspect it may be a trigger in the
of a future plan. user’s chromosomes or it is activated by a very particular set
2. Tooling Up of thought processes. All Serial Killers warped by Shatter
enter into the Mesha Cult.
The Serial Killer ditches the rusty butcher knife and
The Mesha consider themselves to be royalty among
acquires a DarkNight Vibro Machete and spends as much
psychotics and they deeply look down upon what they
time robbing and stealing as killing to boost his arsenal. The
consider ‘ordinary Serial Killers’ so much so that they will
life of the Downtown Serial Killer becomes an endless cycle
target them if they cross paths.
of tooling up - improving firearms and powered weapons,
even going as far as to equip themselves in decent armour. The Mesha wish to be the precious few who take ownership
of serial killing and hold an obscene amount of pride in
By this stage, the Killer cannot function or operate in
their craft. They have no interest in money or the ShowBiz
normal society at all; they become the mask they wear and
Agent’s enticing offers. They are focussed purely on the act of
the marks they leave on their victims’ bodies. They will target
killing and the fear that their heinous acts instil in the minds
all but SLA Ops; individuals or teams that are beyond their
of the public.
capabilities to kill.
3. Join a Family “The moment we picked up the knife, that was it. No way
back. The gruesome ends we inflict on our victims is pretty
The Serial Killer stumbles across a resident Cognate as
much guaranteeing the way we’ll go out ourselves. But who
they shift from killing ground to killing ground. Many
gets a nice finish on Mort, besides all those Boom Family
lone Killers are instantly dispatched by the Cognate for
wankers? If it’s not us hacking you up it’s Manchines, or
encroaching on their territory, but if they see potential in the
Carrien, or those Dream thingies.
fresh face they may accept him into their ranks. He will have
to prove himself or perform some act of loyalty to enter into Let’s face it, we are all fucked, so let’s dance.”
the new family. ‘Chib Merchant’, The Pigbusters Cognate.
Once inducted, the Serial Killer gains the relative safety of
numbers, but becoming part of a collective may present new
problems; such needing to follow the orders of an insane
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SERIAL KILLERS
and near death encounters at the jaws of Carrien or Dream

COGNATES Entities.
The term Cognate is used to delineate a group or gang of The Overlord knows the Downtown sectors; the places
Serial Killers. Most of the Cognates in the World of Progress to hunt and the secret locations in which to hide and
originate from Downtown, in Mort City. inhabit. In return for assuming the burden of responsibility
Serial Killers rarely gather in Cognates out of respect, and leadership, the Overlord gets first choice in any given
kinship or familial bonds to one another - Downtown situation and prey.
presents countless dangers, even to homicidal maniacs, so Most Overlords have ten years on every killer in their
Serial Killers will team up chiefly for protection purposes. Cognate and it is almost their culture to have one younger,
These Cognates however, can be extremely volatile ambitious psychopath looking to steal their crown. Eventually
arrangements with clashing egos, varying degrees of the young upstart takes on the mantle through force or it is
psychopathy and opposing ideologies. A great number of handed over willingly - in such cases the retired Overlord
Cognates tear each other apart before any Operative squad takes on an advisory role, but this is a tenuous position in
can ever get to them. most Cognates. Cognates rarely exceed 10 members, with
16 being absolutely maximum (the only notable exception
Cognates have one ‘veteran’ Serial Killer with intelligence being The Elmersons Cognate) - numbers exceeding this
and experience exceeding the other members and thus serves leads to terrible infighting with fatal outcomes. Some of the
as the leader of the band of misfits. He or she has been older Cognates assume a rather disturbing nomenclature -
around a long time, is very capable and unlikely to crack using familial terminology to denote rank, with Dad/Mom
under pressure. Serial Killers call this individual ‘Overlord’ as overlord. Long serving members have elevated positions
- it is their job to protect the other killers and keep them in as Aunt/Uncle and the lower orders assuming the titling
check. of Brother/Sister. Prospective members are classed as the
Overlords favour intelligence and charm over simple brute family ‘dog’.
strength when managing the Cognate. Serial Killers loyal
to the Overlord have been pulled out of various scrapes
103
More modern Cognates though, have embraced the only highlight a fraction of the murders occurring every day.
nomenclature Threat Analysis has assigned to their breed For every Lurker or Bloody Valentine, there are a hundred or
and, depending on their denomination are often prideful of more unobtrusive civilians in Downtown that quietly pick
their title. off their neighbours, their partners and the waifs and strays
on the city streets. They aren’t looking for fame or recognition,
“Serial Killers are always a hit on TV, the audience loves they have a deep need to commit these crimes and they want
them in the same way they love Stormers. The problem is they to do it for as long and easily as possible.
die way too easily. It’s difficult to source Serial Killers with These do not tend to be the individuals who appear on
the same kind of staying power as the likes of Halloween HunterSheets, or in the Gorezones. So ‘Mr John Smith’
Jack. Let’s face it; that guy can’t die. can rack up countless kills over the years without ever truly
Most Serial Killers are just civilians with a decent weapon drawing attention or an Extermination Warrant.
and a death wish, up until now, anyway. An Op squad Among this number are the killers who desire for more, they
can pick them off in a split second, but see, when you get a need greater, sicker thrills and so they head down towards
Cognate that can actually go the distance, ‘can actually take the cults. A handful find their rightful place in the Mesha,
on SLA on the Downtown streets? Absolute solid gold. but the vast majority choose something far less political -
Under the right conditions a tough, resourceful Cognate can they join the Shi’An.”
easily beat the viewing figures on a ton of Contract Killers - Analyst Aaron Melnick, Threat
with all the sponsorship and signature moves. So, yeah, a Analysis - Cult Activity.
good Cognate is a highly precious commodity.
How have we managed to secure so many classic Serial
Killer bouts in raw footage? I know where to look. It’s all out SERIAL KILLER ARCHETYPES
there if you’re paying attention to the signals.
How do I recognise these signals? What can I say, I’m a “When you first start studying Downtown Serial Killers
lucky guy!” there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to any of them.
Sam Hain, Realtime Media. They’re just a bunch of Civis wearing masks and wielding
axes and the like. But over time these weird little patterns
Cognates who hunt in Inner Downtown typically live emerge. The way some killers compose themselves, their
nomadic lifestyles, only settling in a makeshift lair for weeks direction and the way other Cognate members respond to
or a few months at most. The moment they think their them. It’s more than just leaders and followers; there’s all
hideout may be compromised, they pack up and leave the kinds of Serial Killers and you just have to start assigning
Downtown sector and in extreme circumstances the entire names to the different types.
District level. They travel from place to place via service and Seriously, we’re identifying new classifications each and
sewer tunnels, avoiding the streets entirely until they set up every week and the TV viewers just eat it up.”
camp and are ready to hunt.
Lori Felix, Advisor Executive, Inner Voice
Cognates who have generated too much trouble for Command - The Sewer Babies Cognate.
themselves in the upper Districts can head for the relative
obscurity of Lower Downtown, but such a choice is beset Threat Analysis has gone to the effort of categorising
by a host of problems. The pickings are slimmer in Lower the chaotic host of Serial Killers spread throughout all the
Downtown, the disturbed victims far less satisfying and Downtown Districts. The reasoning is that SLA Operative
the region is also home to the majority of Mesha Cultists, squads assigned BPNs involving a Serial Killer have at least
who will murder them on sight. As such most conventional a better inkling as to what they might be dealing with when
Cognates make the best of things in Inner Downtown. they invade a Cognate’s lair.
Lower Downtown Cognates are rare but they do exist. They There are currently 9 different archetypes covering the
tend to be much tougher and have greater numbers. They Serial Killer breed, but this list is sure to expand as there
have lairs that they have inhabited for many years and have is a clear increase in masked murderers cropping up across
almost continual run-ins with the recent Mesha cults, the Downtown and Suburbia.
Shi’An and the deeper strangeness common to the region.
LONE WANDERER
“Mort City is full of Serial Killers, but it’s difficult to put
forward a very clear representation of who and what they The most common type of Serial Killer on Mort is generally
are. Most people are familiar with the division between referred to as the Lone Wanderer. These figures typify the
Cognates and the Mesha Cult, but it’s even more complicated troubled individual who gradually descends into madness
than that. SLA Ops and Shivers go after the psychopaths in and depravity. Donning a face mask they disappear into the
the masks and the outlandish costumes, but these characters shadows of Downtown with blade in hand.
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SERIAL KILLERS
Only a small fraction of these Lone Wanderers survive be a favourite gun, knife, make of rope or pillowcase
more than a few weeks or months before being picked off filled with soap. Regardless the effect is the same, when
by SLA Operatives, Street Gangs or other such Collateral attacking with this weapon they are considered to have
Threats in Mort City that outclass them. any Stat requirements needed to wield it, 2 ranks in the
Those that do survive have done so through sheer tenacity, relevant skill and they deal damage as if they had rolled
fiendish cunning and a brutal action. As such Killers thrive, 1 more skill success than normal. Finally the weapon
their notoriety grows and a level of fear is generated around gains +1 to the success die as if it were a natural weapon.
them. Animals like Rats and Carnivorous Pigs can sense
their frightening presence and purposefully avoid them. Weapon of Choice Table:
As their legend grows, established Cognates and younger, ROLL WEAPON
aspiring Killers may attempt to seek them out and chance
Roll on the Generic Unpowered
a team up. It all depends on the personality type of the 1
Weapon table.
individual Serial Killer; some are the genuine article and
do not work well with others at all and will view kindred 2 DPB Gash Fist.
spirits as viable prey, no different to the average Downtown 3 DPB Vibrosabre.
Civilian. 4 DPB Flick Scythe.
Lone Wanderer 5 Gash Chain Axe.
STR DEX KNOW CONC 6 MAC Knife.
2 2 1 2 7 Gash Chain Scythe.
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative 8 Munchy Man Hammer.
1 3 0 +4 9 Complete Bastard Dagger.
Hit Points Closing Rushing 10 SlingBlade.
12 2 5 Generic Unpowered Weapon Table
Skills ROLL WEAPON
Climbing: 2 Intimidate: 2 1 Kitchen Knife or Cleaver.
Lock Pick: Manual: 1 Medical: 1 2 Hammer or Length of Pipe.
Melee Weapons: 1 Pistol: 1 3 Sporting Goods.
Stealth: 3 Streetwise: 1 4 Fire Poker
Survival: 1 Torture: 2 5 Wrench or Screwdriver.
Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2 6 Chain.
Equipment 7 Machete.
Killing Mask, Slash Armour (PV 4, Resistance 8 Fire Axe
10), Selection of Trophies, Weapon of Choice. 9 Homemade Spear.
Year Zero: The Stats above assume a Serial Killer active 10 Rope pierced with Broken Glass
on the scene. Killers with less experience will have only a
Generic Unpowered Melee Weapon. They will upgrade RISING STAR
this as soon and as often as possible till they find their Some Killers are as much driven by the desire for fame
Weapon of Choice. as they are by bloodshed and screaming. Celebrity is their
Killing Mask: When wearing their Killing Mask they are primary motivation and Killers of this persuasion have a real
immune to Fear.. flare for the theatrics and flamboyant costume. Rising Stars
exhibit a lot more caution than other Serial Killer types and
SERIAL KILLER SPECIAL RULE: will purchase and steal the best equipment they can get their
hands on before ever attempting to attack a serious threat.
Weapon of Choice: All Serial Killers active on the scene They will start out following a similar career path as Lone
have a Weapon of Choice, while this might evolve and Wanderers, targeting relatively weak and unarmed prey, but
change over time, the choice tends to be reasonably as they swell in confidence and skill they will invariably step
static based on the gratification the killer gets when up their game and hunt Shivers, Gang Members and Props.
using it. A Weapon of Choice can be anything. It might Anything that gets them noticed is fair game to Rising Stars.
105
Equipment
Customised Body Armour (PV 4, Resistance 11),
Killing Mask, SHV-02 Spit pistol or Fen 603
Autopistol, 2 clips for firearm, 3x DA101 ‘Blind’ Smoke
Grenades (multicoloured), Weapon of Choice.
Killing Mask: When wearing their Killing Masks they

gain “Am I on TV???” and “Hey, let me sign that!”
Am I on TV???: These preening primadonnas are easily
distracted by the need to look good when they kill. After
making an attack they must spend the next Combat
round showboating during which they can only make
Acrobatics or Intimidation Skill Tests. However, on the
round after showboating, any successes rolled on that
Skill Test become Skill Successes on their next action.
Hey, let me sign that!: Once a Rising Star has made a kill,
they count as having a CHA of 4 when dealing with any
bystanders or Shivers.
LUMBERING NIGHTMARE
From the very beginning of their journey, Stars will be
heavily focussed on their appearance. It is of the utmost Lumbering Nightmares are as big as they come. These
importance that their ‘look’ is unique and expresses their enormous Serial Killers seem born for the villainous role.
heightened individuality. Everything from the paint job on Whilst they remain silent and emotionless their legend or
their mask, to the distinctive costume and the excitingly notoriety dates all the way back to their childhoods and the
vicious hand weapon is paramount to achieving television impression expressed is that they were murderous from the
coverage. very beginning. As the years pass the Lumbering Nightmare
grows in height, strength and resilience. Somewhere
The real challenge is naturally having combat skills that
between infancy and adolescence a disaster befalls them,
match up to their elaborate designs, especially as they build
which twists and mutilates their physical form, forcing them
up their brand. It is common for Stars to lean heavily into
to conceal their disfigurement and spurs them to greater acts
drug use, allowing them to override regular sleep patterns
of depravity and vengeance.
and train and exercise excessively. Stars will also indulge in
soft company grade Combat Drugs which enhances their Lumbering Nightmares exude invincibility; they soak
fighting abilities and if this adds fuel upon their internal up the damage inflicted by bullets, blades and immolation
psychoses, so much the better. and they just shrug it off without a word or scream. This
has led experts in Threat Analysis to speculate where this
Rising Star invulnerability stems from.
STR DEX KNOW CONC The most common belief is that Lumbering Nightmares
2 2 1 1 have been injecting the rival combat drug Shatter into their
veins and that such Killers may be slowly transitioning into
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Mesha cultists, although reports suggest the cult would
2 3 0 +3 normally have accepted them into their ranks much earlier
Hit Points Closing Rushing in life. There is also the fact that most Lumbrering Killers do
not usually exhibit the same notable physical warping that
10 2 5 most Mesha cultists undergo.
Skills Naga 7 Division proposes that Lumbering Killers might
Acrobatics: 2 Athletics: 1 be adhering to the legend that surrounds them, in much the
same way Dream Entities are fortified by gruesome urban
Climbing: 1 Intimidate: 2 folklore. By this logic there could be an argument for the
Melee Weapons: 1 Persuasion: 1 fact such Killers are indeed Dream Entities but have fully
Pistol: 1 Stealth: 1 Integrated into Downtown reality.
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SERIAL KILLERS
Lumbering Nightmare
STR DEX KNOW CONC
3 1 1 3
1 3 0 +4
30 2 4
Skills
Climbing: 1 Intimidate: 2
Melee Weapons: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2
Equipment
Killing Mask, Weapon of Choice, Slash (PV 4, Resistance
10) or Boogeyman Armour (PV 10, Resistance 36). Little Helper
STR DEX KNOW CONC
Killing Mask: When wearing their Killing Mask, the
1 2 1 2
Lumbering Nightmare gains the Inhuman Strength, The
Walk and Unyielding special rules. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Inhuman Strength: When performing feats of pure 1 2 0 +4
strength or dealing damage, they count as having a STR Hit Points Closing Rushing
of 6 (8 in Boogeyman Armour).
10 2 5
The Walk: the Lumbering Nightmare seldom if ever runs
except to charge. They stride with purpose and if they can Skills
reach a victim without using their rushing speed count as Climbing: 1 Medical: 1
charging and can reroll their Success Die on the attack.
Melee Weapons: 1 Stealth: 2
Unyielding: These psychotic, lunatic creatures have little
to no consciousness. This renders them entirely immune Streetwise: 1 Survival: 1
to the effects of Fear and Pain. They ignore all effects and Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1
modifiers from any wounds they have sustained and will Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2
usually fight to the death.
Equipment
LITTLE HELPER Up to 2 Killing Masks, Slash Armour (PV 4, Resistance
10), Selection of Trophies, Weapon of Choice.
Some Killers find themselves being either gifted or
saddled with a Little Helper. This is usually a younger, less Fits the Mold: The Little Helper owns 2 Killing Masks.
experienced psychopath who latches onto a well seasoned One is a direct copy of the seasoned killer that controls
Killer; most commonly the Born Leader. them. When worn in the presence of the seasoned killer,
Little Helpers either see the world around them with a the Little Helper can use the abilities of that seasoned
childlike wonderment, often misconstruing social cues and killer’s mask. The second is their own mask which can be
situations whilst also displaying bursts of pure psychopathic of any type.
behaviour or they assume the role of the family dog.
More animalistic Helpers tend not to speak and degenerate TRUE OUTSIDER
to hunkering down when idle, walking on all fours and eating Even within the disturbing familial unit of a Cognate there
from a bowl on the floor. Most Cognate leaders are quick to is often one Killer who embodies pure otherness - the True
encourage this descent, as the Little Helper will defend its Outsider.
master with their life and will not hesitate to perform even
the most extreme command. True Outsiders tend to be characters of few words, if they
even speak at all. Their faces always remain firmly rooted
behind blank featureless masks, their eyes are dark and
empty.
107
These shadowy additions to a growing Cognate work

well within the family unit and are immensely popular in
GUN NUT
the media; the ratings always climb when a True Outsider Gun Nuts rely almost entirely on firearms. Cautious and
emerges from the dark corners of Downtown. well prepared, they will take out their prey and opposition
True Outsiders differ from Lumbering Nightmares as they at a distance and with as little risk as possible. Whilst useful
are a great deal more unpredictable - a trait that could never additions to a Cognate, Gun Nuts prove unpopular with
be attributed to the Nightmare. Outsiders will often torture fellow Killers and the media outlets which promote the
and delay kills, perform weird and disturbing rituals which subgenre. Fellow Serial Killers find them somewhat cowardly
only they truly understand. Even within the confines of the and television networks just consider them plain boring;
Cognate’s lair a True Outsider will act out odd mannerisms preferring more media friendly Killers who use close combat
and behaviours. weapons and are more than willing to get their hands dirty.
A Gun Nut has to go some lengths to add dimension to
“I have a basic rule with regards to True Outsiders. Treat their safe persona. They will push hard for a punchy, exciting
‘em like stray cats; you don’t find a stray, it finds you. Never outfit and if they can raise capital and sponsor they will
go looking for an Outsider; they slit your throat in yer sleep. immediately go for overpriced customised weapons.
But when one turns up on your doorstep you let ‘em in. Most Cognates will bring in a fledgling Gun Nut and
They’re money makers and their freakiness scares off the little simply use them as cannon fodder when the Operatives and
threats. Contract Killers show up.
Give ‘em space, don’t bother them or expect nothing of ‘em. Gun Nuts are also most likely to become spree killers and
They’ll raise the axe when trouble comes calling. go on an all out assault on a specific location with as much
They come when they please and leave when it suits ‘em. weaponry and ammunition as they can effectively carry. They
Just like stray cats. don’t last very long and the Cognates don’t miss them one
Put enough food in their bowls and for fucksake, don’t pet bit.
‘em. You’ll lose an arm.”
“They aren’t necessarily the most imaginative chappies and
Da-Da, Father, Family Values Cognate.
if you really need to take a power nap just get them talking
True Outsider about their favourite Pistol or whatever; you’ll be out for the
count in a matter of minutes.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
But if you can tolerate them long enough, Gun Nuts will
4 3 1 2 build up a helluva stockpile of firearms and they’ll be turning
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative one room of the lair into an armoury. This is where the Gun
2 3 0 +5 Nut comes into his own, because when the Shivers or Ops
come calling he’s ready. He’s been waiting his whole life for
Hit Points Closing Rushing a good stand off and before they put him down he’s going to
18 2 5 empty every clip in his arsenal, right into their faces.”
Skills FingerSnipper, Sewer Babies Cognate.
Athletics: 2 Climbing: 1 Gun Nut

Medical: 1 Melee Weapons: 3 STR DEX KNOW CONC
Stealth: 4 Unarmed Combat: 2 2 3 1 2
Equipment CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Blank Mask, Selection of Dead 0 2 0 +4
Masks, Weapon of Choice. Hit Points Closing Rushing
Killing Mask: When wearing a Mask of any sort the True 12 2 5
Outsider gains a PV of 10 and is immune to Fear. If the
Outsider kills a Serial Killer they can take their Mask and Skills
use it as if they were of the same type as the dead killer. Acrobatics:1 Athletics: 2
Every day after the Serial Killer’s death the Outsider rolls
Climbing: 2 Medical: 1
1d10. On a 6 or higher the Mask “dies” and can no longer
be used by the Outsider. Melee Weapons: 1 Rifles: 2
Stealth: 1 Streetwise: 1
Survival: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1
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SERIAL KILLERS
Equipment
A Killer Mask, An Unholy Arsenal of 2-6 guns,
Black Body Blocker Armour, with “Tactical pouches
full of candy and bullets” 2 Grenades of any sort..
Unholy Arsenal: Gun Nuts reduce the Weight factor of

all guns carried by them by 1 and treat all firearms as their
Weapon of Choice even if they’ve never seen them before.
The Walt De Drew Arsenal:

Notorious Serial Killer Walt De Drew is the most
common example of a successful Gun Nut. When
finally taken by Contract Killer Buzz Kill the arsenal he
carried consisted of the following items. Now this is seen
as the holy grail for Gun Nut killers and many of them
are working their way towards collecting the set.
- 3x AGB Core P82 Cloud fall pistols,
- 1x BLA 446M Derringer,
- 1x BLA 710M Snubber,
- 2x CAF Screaming Eagle Assault Rifles,
- 1x FEN 706 Power Reaper 2.1000.
BORN LEADER
Some Serial Killers show a great deal more common
sense and lateral thinking than their psychotic siblings. As Skills
the Cognate solidifies and the kills rack up a Born Leader
inevitably emerges. This Killer assumes the Patriarchal/
Matriarchal role within the family of murderers and Climbing: 2 Intimidate: 2
is refrerred to by Serial Killers as ‘Overlord’. They take Lock Pick: Manual: 1 Lock Pick: Electronics: 1
responsibility for the Cognate’s welfare and select the present Medical: 1 Melee Weapons: 2
hunting grounds, in return they get the choicest victims from
Leadership: 3 Persuasion: 2
whomever they can catch.
There is no specific age requirement for this lofty position; Pistol: 2 Rifle: 2
all that truly counts is Leader’s smarts. The future of the Stealth: 3 Streetwise: 1
Cognate rests solely on their shoulders. Survival: 1 Tactics: 2
Operatives and Shivers have mistakenly compared the Born Torture: 2 Tracking: 2
Leader to the Cannibal Sector Matriarch but the concept of
Unarmed Combat: 2
‘family’ is just a relative term… The Cognate is a much more
sinister and ruthless gathering of like minded individuals Equipment
and if certain killers do not follow the edicts set down by
A Killer Mask, An Unholy Arsenal of 2-6 guns,
Mom, or toe the line they can very easily find themselves on
Black Body Blocker Armour, with “Tactical pouches
the receiving end of her Chain Reaper.
full of candy and bullets” 2 Grenades of any sort.
Born Leader
Evolved: All Born Leaders started somewhere. They have
STR DEX KNOW CONC all the abilities of their prior Serial Killer subtype as well
2 3 3 4 as the Cognate Leader ability. If any Stats are less than
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative that of the prior Serial Killer subtype they increase to that
level.
4 3 0 +7
Cognate Leader: When wearing their Killing Mask, they
Hit Points Closing Rushing can use a Complex Leadership Skill Test as an Auxiliary
22 2 6 action to give the other members of the Cognate bonuses.
109
Every success rolled grants a Cognate member a bonus Equipment

equal to the Born Leader’s ranks in Leadership. It is
unknown how the Cognate Leader can get through the Killing Mask, Gash Fist, Weapon of
madness of a Red Mist or Lumbering Nightmare but Choice, Slash (PV 4, Resistance 10).
they can and it’s one of the few ways to get them to back Raaahhhhhh: When wearing their Killing Mask the
down. If only momentarily. Red Mist is impervious to Pain, Fear and emotional
manipulation. When making melee attacks they can
RED MIST reroll all the dice and on a success count as if they had
rolled 2 additional Skill dice successes. This is in addition
“We’re on our third Red Mist now and Firetop Fred is to bonuses from their Weapon of Choice.
our best yet. We’re keeping him chained in our utility closet
behind a reinforced steel door. Da-Da’s getting through to JOE NORMAL
him and he’s finally stopped biting his chain, which is good.
I spend a bit of time every day just hanging out with Fred, Occasionally, lonely and disturbed individuals are drawn
reading him entries from my journal and poetry. I think he into the world of Cognates. They think themselves to have
listens sometimes. murderous intent but other Serial Killers see their true
nature and intent. Killers will consider these sad characters
If he plays nice I usually chuck him an extra bowl of Alpha
as ‘wannabes’ and empty vessels, earning the derogatory
Spagetto.
terms Joe or Jill Normal. They may wear a murderer’s mask
He only gets his Chain Scythe when the Ops come calling.” but there is no monster underneath, just a loner looking for
Plain Jane, Family Values Cognate. a sense of belonging.
Joe Normals lack any real sense of originality, whether that
These are arguably the most psychotic of all the various be in the way they dress or the way they hunt. Almost always
archetypes. Every waking minute of their lives is a frenzy of their modus operandi and dress sense is heavily based on
flashing knife blades and blood torrents. Red Mists plummet another preexisting Killer, which they’re hoping nobody else
into sheer insanity and never come out of their psychotic will notice.
rampage. Mists cannot be reasoned with and they tend not
to last very long since self preservation is fairly low on their “It’s easy to poke fun at the Joe Normals, but you have to
murderous daily memo. try and understand where these career directions stem from.
Red Mists do not join Cognates so much as they are Downtown Civilians live on a steady, unhealthy diet of
caught and summarily contained until needed. Serial Killer SLA media and extremely violent television programming
Cognates find them useful as front line shock troops and that tells them that ‘this is the right way.’
simply fling them at the enemy, Even if they do not succeed Joe Normal is unexceptional, but in a deeper sense he knows
in exterminating their foe, they can serve as a nice distraction this, so in order to counter these feelings of inadequacy he
whilst the more valuable members make their escape. attempts to take some power back into his life, through the
Red Mists who last more than a few bouts against enemies act of killing and surrounding himself with what he believes
turn out to be quite fearful and the Cognate must go to some are like minded individuals.
lengths to appease and confine these Killers. But he is the fool, the butt of the joke and more experienced
Killers will feed off him to satisfy their own egos.
Red Mist
That said, the established Serial Killers of Mort should not
STR DEX KNOW CONC laugh quite so heartily because in essence, they are all Joe
3 3 0 0 Normals. They are all as weak and insecure as the targets
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative they mock.”
0 2 0 +4 Tarak Harakhebi – Neophron Operative,
SCL 7a, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’.
15 2 6 Despite the scorn and ridicule the Joe Normal may face,
he will be accepted into the Cognate, often much to his
surprise. He is not, however, being welcomed in for his
Skills
homicidal prowess or his outstanding sadistic nature. Joe
Athletics: 1 Climbing: 1 Normal is going to be removing the mask and sent out to do
Intimidate: 2 Melee Weapons: 2 the week’s shopping run, to scrawl the Cognate’s tag on the
Stealth: 1 Unarmed Combat: 2 Shiver Precinct Wall, putting dog food into the bowl for the
Little Helper and unblocking the toilet for the umpteenth
time.
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SERIAL KILLERS
When he complains he will be politely informed that The turnover in the Red Death is very high, with only its
everyone first entering the Cognate has to do a certain three original members training as a constant: Vig himself,
amount of degrading menial work before given full Maxine Heath (sometimes referred to as Black Snake) and
membership and that it all builds character and friendships. Timmy The Zip.
Unlike Downtown Gangs though, the chores of a Prospect Rumours circulate that all three are siblings, but it is also
never end and the Cognate will likely work the Joe Normal common knowledge that Vigadeth and Maxine are lovers.
to death. Any new member entering the Cognate attempting a
More so even than any other expendable Serial Killer romantic liaison with either partner usually winds up dead
archetype, Joe Normal is truly disposable. In their desperate with their throat slit or their head completely removed.
effort to be accepted they can be talked into virtually any The Red Death does not go in for specialised kills or
foolhardy action. highly unique modes of attack. Their trademark is extreme
Joe Normal violence, so the main trio in particular will commonly vary
the weapons they use depending on the prey sought or the
STR DEX KNOW CONC foe fought.
2 2 1 1 Since Vigadeth and his crew are represented by one of the
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative most successful ShowBiz Agents in Mort City - Michael
1 2 0 +3 Pinching aka ‘Saucy Mick’, of Saucy Dog Castings and
Entertainments the Cognate is always well equipped and
Hit Points Closing Rushing well armed. Mick also makes sure the Red Deaths are present
12 2 5 and prepped for all the best live events and GoreZones.
Skills THE ELMERSONS

Athletics: 1 Melee Weapons: 1 A Cognate that truly encapsulates the concept of a ‘Family
Stealth: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1 Unit’ are The Elmersons, who pride themselves in presenting
as the traditional Mort City Family. There is a surprisingly
Equipment high number of family members in the Elmersons, with a
Blank Mask, Weapon of Choice (Usually network of clans spread across Lower Downtown.
a simple Kitchen Knife). There is the original family - Mr and Mrs Elmerson (Mum
and Dad) and their two children - Bobby and Barbara and
Call me Joe: Joe Normals look completely normal. When
the faithful family dog - Hatchet. Beyond this unit are
in public they are indistinguishable from the crowd.
countless relatives, made up of Grandparents, Aunts and
Stealth Tests to fit in are made as if the Serial Killer had
Uncles and their distant cousins, Nieces and Nephews.
4 ranks in Stealth.
Threat Analysis is in the process of trying to decipher if
all these Elmersons are biological relatives, but the strong
KNOWN COGNATES ON MORT consensus is they all stem from Grandpa and Grandma
Elmerson, who were brother and sister, a rumour not
THE RED DEATH COGNATE dissimilar to that of Vigadeth and Maxine.
The Elmersons like to capture and torture their victims over
The Red Death Cognate is considered the most well a period of many months and then discard the horrifically
known and dangerous gathering of murderers on Mort. It is mangled remains where the Shivers can easily find them,
led by the Serial Killer - Vigadeth and has kept largely the complete with the Elmerson trademark - a red ribbon bow
same original members since its conception, which stands as tied around the body like a birthday present.
a dark testament to the Cognate’s powers and abilities.
Elmersons always dress in outdated, highly conservative
Most Cognates have a limited life expectancy: if the Ops styles from a bygone time and cheerful masks with frozen
don’t destroy them, they will likely kill themselves. The Red fixed grins and same goes for the apartments they own,
Death Cognate has existed for many years, killing countless which are pristine time capsules.
Civilians, Props, Shivers and Operatives alike; pretty much
One of the relatives of the Elmersons has just entered the
anyone in Mort City is fair game to the group.
Contract Circuit - Ralphie Elmerson, aka Gee Whizz.
At any one time the Red Death Cognate can range from
Many Operative squads find the concept of The Elmersons
10 to 15 Serial Killers and only the toughest and skilled
laughable. That is, until they enter into their homes and
murderers may apply. If a fresh recruit fails to make the grade
discover the killing rooms, discovering what they’ve been
or shows the slightest sign of doubt or cowardice he’ll be
doing to the endless stream of victims and the DarkNight
served up as the next victim.
fashioned traps they have set up around the home.
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When threatened the Elmersons will lash out with

terrifying force, pulling out Soft Company firearms and
THE SEWER BABIES
powered weapons and in some extreme instances, military The Sewer Babies are a reasonably new Cognate in
grade weaponry they’ve procured along the way. Downtown. Their collective is composed of young members
Mr and Mrs Elmerson make their considerable wealth and the majority of the Killers are female. Their chief is a
by working in property development and rentals, using young non-binary individual known as Fearless Leader. They
fake names and shell companies. They are able to compose have commandeered a nearby Downtown theatre, going as
themselves well in social situations, removing their masks far as to use its stage props to serve as Fearless Leader’s gold
(yet eerily mimicking their masks wholesome personas) painted throne.
and secretting away their butcher knives and chainsaws. Considered either brave or foolhardy the Sewer Babies
They hold properties in District 1 to put up false fronts for like to target Soft Companies and strike their supply depots
business, but at nights and weekends they will always return in raid-like attacks; massacring their staff and guards then
to their true home in the lower levels where all the horrors plundering their precious merchandise.
take place. Fearless Leader tends to stockpile the heavier grade
“It’s been hard to get a proper lead on the Elmersons, weapons and equipment for hard targets like Props and SLA
because when required they just blend in with the other Operatives when their lairs are compromised. Fearless also
Downtowners. There are lots of tough, well established takes a vested interest in the styling of their Serial Killers,
Cognates in Downtown but the Elmersons differ greatly; clearly having a greater understanding of media and ratings,
they’re growing in numbers and they really are setting out to reshaping their members for optimal presence.
do serious damage in Downtown. The Cognate’s title is in reference to the abandonment
And all with a sweet smile and a kind word, right before most of the Killers faced in their infancy, whose erstwhile
they rip your guts out.” parents chose drink and drugs over their own children. They
Vilhildra ‘Quicksilver’ Sihilann, Ebon Operative, were babies dragged from their homes and left in the sewers
SCL 6a, Squad ‘Dusty Lavender’. for the rats and pigs to wipe away.
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SERIAL KILLERS
The lives of Serial Killers are as individual as the modus

FAMILY VALUES COGNATE operandi they perform on their victims. Some Cognates
The Family Values Cognate has existed within the heart of live for no other reason but to kill and maim and when they
Inner Downtown for around ten years, with its leader - Da- are not out stalking their next victims, they slip into a near
Da, a notorious and domineering Serial Killer, holding court torporous state, staring blankly at the wall in front of them
over a steady stream of entrant murderers over the course of until an internal switch spurs them back into action.
many years. Others are extremely proactive with insatiable appetites for
Family Values is a highly active group and the Cognate atrocities. These motivated Cognates will eagerly snare and
has been hunting throughout Districts 3 and 4 in the North drag home victims to play with in their downtime. Often
Eastern Sectors. Membership in the Values promises to be this is encouraged by the Overlord as the torture captives
full of fun and excitement but the turnover is extremely high. keeps the family off the streets and do not draw too much
Da-Da has a voracious appetite for bloodshed and screams attention to the Cognate’s broader goals.
and as result countless Civilians and Shivers die, meaning the Many Cognates however are unstable powder kegs just
Cognate is forever having run-ins with Operative Squads. waiting to explode. The volatile mix of homicidal personalities
This is where and when all but Da-Da’s best and brightest living on top of one another inevitably leads to internal strife
fall under a hail of 10mm, but each and every time Da-Da and a fair amount of death. In such instances it is the duty of
and his select few make their escape. the Cognate’s designated Overlord to manage the family and
Family Values has never quite had the popularity of the stamp out sibling rivalries and signs of brewing rebellion.
Red Death Cognate, but it is still greatly feared within its
own territories and has its own reality television show (also “I’ve had several BPNs, usually Whites, that culminated
known as Family Values). in a showdown in a Cognate’s lair. What you find in these
hovels is always pretty interesting. You discover these
The Cognate signed to Channel Slice and Dice, permitting
weirdos have pastimes and when you enter the rooms they
an Inner Voice Drone to be installed in their current lair.
decorated themselves, you’re also entering into their own
Plain Jane, one of the cognate’s newer recruits, is of particular
twisted minds.
interest to the Channel and the viewing figures for segments
focussed on her are typically higher. You’ll find the broken remains of victims, sometimes piled
waist high, or posed in chairs, quietly festering away. Walls
Family Values is highly fixated in the slow torture of its
covered with newspaper clippings, pornographic images
victims, usually saving up its captives until the weekend then
stapled from floor to ceiling that beggars belief, or cartoon
indulging in days long debauchery. The Values refer to it
characters with the eyes crossed out.
as the Saturday Night Slam, in which they indulge in axe
throwing at heads, Pass The Blowtorch, ‘BloodBoarding’ and The most disturbing things are not the corpses though,
‘Feed the Dog’... but the nurseries. It’s when you discover the Serial Killers
have been breeding and are raising the next generation of
little murderers: babies in cradles beneath clouds of flies and
MURDEROUS LIVES cigarette smoke and toddlers running around amongst the
body parts and discarded organs.
“ You gotta wonder what their lives actually are like in a I like to think we got to these kids in time and that when
Cognate? I mean, beyond all the murder and mayhem, what they grow up they forget their origins. That’s my hope
fills the rest of a day? The guys in my patrol think I’m being anyway, but isn’t the truth always a lot more bleak?”
proper morbid but I’m genuinely curious. Do they just sleep Glenn Dempsey, Human Operative
all day and creep out at night? Do they sit on some busted SCL 6, Squad: ‘Dusty Lavender’.
out sofa and watch TV? Drink beer? Shit, they’re starting to
sound like Shivers… The domicile of the Serial Killer Cognate is referred to
No, but I’m being serious here. You’ve got this cluster as a Lair and this is always some outlandish location such
of Serial Killers crammed into one space and you have to as abandoned swimming baths or a disused theatre. Serial
wonder if they don’t just turn on each other eventually. Killers hate anything conventional, so anything as mundane
Are their lives just as boring as everyone in Downtown? I as a rundown apartment is too plain for them. They seek
reckon there’s more going on in their lairs than anyone sees. out a location that is creepy and distinctive so it can convey
something about their character. This of course makes them
If there were a TV Show about Serial Killer Cognates I’d
somewhat easier to track when a SLA Op squad is on their
watch it.”
trail.
- Shiver Patrolman Taylor, District 4, Sector 8
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tins of spaghetti pile up in large unwashed quantities. This

LAIR BREAKDOWN rapidly becomes a breeding ground for flies and maggots.
The Lair of a Cognate is invariably a messy shambolic place, If the cognate decides to keep a slave in their Lair they are
but just like the highly defined Serial Killer Archetypes, usually confined to the kitchen and forced at knifepoint to
distinct patterns emerge in the places they call home. do the dishes and take out the trash.
The Overlord Chamber Storage Area
One room (usually the best in the location) is designated Serial Killers will fixate on certain objects and themes. It
the Overlord Chamber. It is one of the perks of being the could be dolls, bottle tops, or severed nipples in jam jars and
Born Leader. In this chamber the Serial Killer gets the best dead cats. They will usually return from a night’s slayings
of everything, whether that be the finest furniture, toys, or with countless spoils unique to their own personal tastes,
drugs, it’s the dealer’s choice. hoarding these highly specific artefacts in large quantities.
The Overlord Chamber is also the best situated, usually at All too often the interest in such items lasts little more than
the very centre of the Lair and is guarded by members of the a few minutes, before it is thrown unceremoniously into one
Cognate whenever the Leader is in residence. of the Cognate’s storage rooms and promptly forgotten. This
Kitchen will happen repeatedly until the area becomes so overstuffed
the Killer can barely get the door open.
Often the messiest room in the Lair, the kitchen may or
may not be the subject of cannibalism. Only a handful of Play Room
Cognates actually indulge in the act of eating human (or The Play Room is were most of the torture and murder
species specific) flesh, leaving that sort of thing to Cults. They takes place. Blood spray tends to get everywhere once the
are however, not well versed in daily household chores and slashing begins so most Overlords insist that ‘fun time’ be
the filthy plates, discarded fast food cartons and half eaten confined to a designated area and allotted time frame.
The Play Room is selected in the location where it is easiest
to clean, so this may be a locker room or shower area, with
drainage installed on the tiled floor. Of all the rooms in the
Cognate’s Lair, the Play Room is the room the killers take
most seriously. If there is blood and guts strewn about the
place, then that is intentional, but in most instances it is the
one area they keep clean.
This is because the duration of a kill, from the victim’s life
transitioning into death is an intimate and fantasy fuelled
affair for the killer: everything must be just so. They do not
want the remnants of their fellow Killer’s last victim spoiling
the mood.
Cool Off Room
Serial Killers are gregarious characters and sometimes they
get a bit carried away. They struggle with the concept of
boundaries, particularly when it comes to each other. Killers
will get into white hot heated arguments over select victims,
spoils and what to watch on television. Before the dispute
can launch into a knife fight, the Overlord will demand that
the Killer in the wrong spend time locked in the Cool Off
Room, until he’s ready to play nice.
Red Mists spend most of their lives in the Cool Off Room.
Trash Heap
Once a Cognate’s Lair develops a sizable enough trash
heap it’s probably best to either tidy up, or move out. The
collected garbage, as Killers see it, is accumulated murdered
victims. This often occurs in Cognates whose Lair cannot
easily dispose of bodies, whether down a sewer drain, or
deposited into a derelict alleyway.
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SERIAL KILLERS
They will pick a room furthest from their day to day lives
and start tossing the bodies on a pile and slamming the door.
When the room fills to capacity, they close it off for good,
taping up the edges of the door to keep the smell and putrid
leakage in, usually unsuccessfully.
Dining Room
Some Cognates insist on ‘family time’ and the most
common way to achieve this is everyone sitting down to
dinner of an evening. All the Cognates are obligated to sit
at a filthy long table (sometimes with a fresh set of victims
strapped to chairs) and discuss their day and what to be
thankful for.
This always ends in arguments and Killers storming off in
the huff.
Nursery
Killers have pastimes and regrettably this sometimes
involves them having sexual intercourse. Sometimes with
each other, sometimes not. Victim or fellow murderer,
whoever was on the receiving end of a Serial Killer’s amorous
advances, newborn babies appear as a result. having the entirety of the Cognate’s arsenal at his disposal
when he finally snaps.
These products of Cognate activities are kept in a Nursery
and loosely cared for. They are thankfully quite rare in most
Cognates since most Killers are far too narcissistic to ever SHOW BUSINESS
devote time or consideration to anyone but themselves, but
offspring may be encouraged in the more family oriented
“ Yeah, we just signed Mr Chop and yes, I mean ‘the’ Mr
Cognates.
Chop. Custom Slingblade, Boogeyman Armour and if it gets
Communal Area hairy, he has a Thug SMG back up.
If the Lair is a larger size, the Overlord may designate a He’s been around 10 years, which is like 100 in Serial
Communal Area for everyone to gather in. In most instances Killer years. The last known survivor of the Meat Packers
this Communal Area is little more than an expansive TV Siege of 901, 134 confirmed Shiver kills, I mean the dude
room in which Serial Killers continually bicker about what decapitated a Frother.
program to watch and stare fixedly at a stream of Gorezones I tell you, the phone’s been off the hook for three days. We’ve
and Bonky Street. had calls from Breaking Glass Films, Channel Slice and Dice,
Gutzy Hard Lemonade and, as of this morning, RealTime
Crash Out Rooms
Media. They want him to do a stint on the Contract Circuit;
Mass murder and total insanity really takes it out of the I’m going through the insurance paperwork as we speak.
Downtown Serial Killer and sometimes sleep is the only What’s he like? Well, he’s not a big talker. All he’s requested
respite from the daily bloodshed. The Cognate’s members is more ammo, extra pillows and ‘Chocolate Mousse’.”
have their own private bedrooms but rarely do they all hit
Paulie ‘Wide Boy’ Stansler, Class Act
their Crash Out Rooms at the same time.
Light Entertainment and Events.
The Cognate Overlord will have resting take place in shifts
with a handful of Killers standing watch over the Lair. In The Changes, there is a renewed interest in Mort’s
Armoury Serial Killers, so numerous television programs and media
presentations have begun cropping up across the airwaves.
The Armoury in a Lair is usually the province of the resident
Gun Nut, who lovingly stocks, catalogues and spends his It’s believed this may have stemmed from the climbing
days stripping and cleaning the countless firearms accrued ratings on shows like Shivers Fuck Shit Up which gives the
by the Cognate over time. viewers an unprecedented look at the lives and troubles of
the BridgeHead Shivers. Viewers at home dare not venture
The Gun Nut has access to the Armoury, but the Overlord out into the hostile ruins of Cannibal Sector 1 but they can
always holds onto the keys to the padlocks. The last thing derive a vicarious thrill from seeing that world through the
an Overlord needs is a Gun Nut going off the deep end and eyes of BridgeHead Shivers on the frontline.
115
These television viewers want a similar insight into the As always, SLA sought to take governance of the new
lives of the Downtown Serial Killer but this is clearly not as media format, allowing freelance Showbiz Agents to operate
simple as tagging along with Shivers in Sector 1. The studio legally and represent Serial Killers but also ensuring the
execs at Third Eye and its subsidiaries would need to adopt a company got a cut of the profits.
more insidious approach. If Serial Killers were going to get fame and protection, they
At the forefront of these advancements is a relatively new were going to pay their dues, just like any other wage slave
company - RealTime Media, led by the partnership of Silv on Mort.
Varak, a Wraithen Studio Exec and Sam Hain, a Human
Media Op. THE DERWENT ACT.
There are numerous rumours circulating about these two
individuals, but the emphasis seems to be focused on the “Look, just bloody sign. Right now I’m the only thing
company’s front man and wild card: Mr Hain. potentially keeping you alive.
There is talk that the sudden emergence of Tek Trex was Oh, so you think you’re safe, huh? No enemies to speak of ?
orchestrated by Sam Hain, but news outlets cannot figure Darling, you aren’t protected by the Derwent Act yet, which
out the reason why Hain would approach such a subversive means every living thing in Mort City is your enemy.
project. The Slops can’t wait to keep a young dumbass like you and
After a certain amount of digging into the background your crew in their sights because killing an unsigned Cognate
of Silv and Sam they both had long histories within SLA is one less problem they have to deal with.
Industries departments before their partnership and The Derwent gives you rights, protection, fame and glory
company formation. and all the cuddly toys for you to stick your dick in that you
Typical of Wraithen, Silv has been described as icy could ever want. The only setback is you have to follow a few
and focussed and is continually exasperated with Sam’s simple guidelines and let me <ahem> procure a nominal fee
natural charm and exuberance, yet equally surprised by his for my services.
abnormally good luck in whatever he turns his hand to. Sign…
Within a year of setting up, Realtime Media had a team Good boy.”
of 100 staffers, made up of researchers, showrunners, talent
Teddy ‘Class Act’ Boyle, of Class Act
scouts and production crew. Realtime Media also boasts a
Light Entertainment and Events
string of side businesses within SLA Industries, including
the television channel - Slice and Dice. The Derwent Act was a law devised back during the
Formation Era. A 3Ps Contract Negotiator named Harvey
“ You really have to wonder what a Serial Killer even is
Derwent got a law passed that permitted enemies of the
now. They dress like they always did and do much the same
company, even its greatest rivals, to gain an audience with
things, I guess. I don’t know … I mean, what’s separating
SLA without getting their faces shot off and get to walk
them from Contract Killers now? They have sponsorship
away regardless of the outcome.
deals, fancy franchise weapons and TV promotions. We’ve
forgotten that they kill people. Initially it was called the 12 Hour Pass, where a subversive
could approach the boundaries of SLA’s Permineter Wall
I think somebody won here and I don’t know who…
and request the Pass. They would have to hand over whatever
Was it the Cognates? They make good ratings so they can do weapons they had and would have 12 hours to convey their
whatever they want, or did SLA Industries finally beat the message or request to agents or media organisers. If they
Serial Killer by neutering the pest? were still within SLA held territory after the Pass expired
I don’t know who won, but I do know who lost: every they were immediately classed as a hostile and could very
Downtown Civilian. Serial Killers now have more easily be gunned down on the spot.
protection and support than the ordinary people they prey With a pass, a Serial Killer could enter into discourse with
upon.” media stations and agents to hash out deals that could get
Karla Glazer, Threat Analysis Research. them on TV, for a fee and to earn income from licensing their
image to anyone willing to pay. The Derwent Act turned the
A whole crop of industrious and media savvy companies role of Serial Killer into a media job like any other.
and free agents sprang up in the wake of Realtime Media Soft Companies then lobbied to the media organisations to
and sudden enactment of the long lost Derwent Act. SLA bring them under the cover of the Derwent Act, legitimising
Industries did not want to be seen actively supporting the a handful of backroom weapon makers willing to become
Serial Killer phenomena but conversely they didn’t like a Base Interest Tax Entities, paying SLA Industries up to fifty
bunch of what was essentially Soft Companies profiting on percent of their earnings in return for legitimate status. Only
these maniacs. companies that made entertainment equipment - flashy
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SERIAL KILLERS
weapons and impractically outrageous armour - would be

able to take the BITE. SLA Industries takes the collection
of these taxes seriously and will assign a collections officer
to recover any fees. These officers, colloquially referred to
as a Bite Man, are recognisable by their bowler hats and
umbrellas and are usually accompanied by up to three 313
Stormers. It’s a dangerous business collecting taxes from
weapons companies.
“Good morning, I’m your BITE collector for today. Our

records show you have earned 424,000 unis this year, for
which you must be very proud. You are required by law to
deliver the outstanding amount, 212,000 unis, plus interest
of 2.75%, making a total of 217,830 unis, payable now. I
can wait while you fetch it, but don’t take too long or Mister
Fridge here will start to get a wee bit punchy. Don’t forget to
keep your paperwork up to date and do not lose this receipt.”
BITE Officer Parks, Department of Collections.
Over time this Pass became known as the Derwent Act

and it was the only means by which the Contract Circuit
could exist.
“When you consider what SLA is and the reputation for

ruthlessness it holds, then it can be pretty crazy to think that
something like the Derwent Act could ever exist in the World
of Progress. Times are changing for Serial Killers and whilst new
Well, you’d never have any good TV shows without it. No doors of opportunity are opening for the neighbourhood
exotic species delivered by Contract Hunters, no DarkNight psychotics, it does not mean their newfound celebrity is
or Thresher Contract Killers battling our best and bravest guaranteed to be plain sailing. Many Operatives and Shivers
and no GoreZones cropping up in Downtown. are determinedly hunting Serial Killers now in an effort to
The Derwent Act lets ShowBiz Agents offer a safe pass for eradicate them before they can fall under the protection of
Serial Killers to participate in media events. And yeah, sure, the Derwent Act.
they’re kept on a tight leash, ‘can’t have a bunch of grotto Cognates who wish to see out another year (or even the
Serial Killers running amok in Uptown. Thing is, sometimes next 24 hours) in the mortal realm need to get themselves a
what you see on a TV screen alone isn’t going to cut it. The ShowBiz Agent as quickly as they possibly can.
audiences attending the Contract Circuit on a Friday night At a first glance, most clients will take one look at the
want to see that masked monstrosity in all his glory, in the shifty individual smoking a cigarette through grimey fingers,
flesh, so to speak. his shabby suit and battered trilby hat stood before them
Nothing else compares to the real thing. The Derwent Act and acknowledge they’re most likely going to be scammed.
keeps it real.” This is largely correct, but in the modern age of Serial Killer
Anna McDuffie, Talent Scout, Realtime Media. representation there aren’t any other options.
The ShowBiz agent is under no allusions as to who or what
SHOWBIZ AGENT he is, either. He knows in his nicotine stained core that he is
a lowdown, conniving, sleazy weasel of a man; and he’s out
to make as much cash as humanly or inhumanly possible.
“I swear on me mother’s life, when ‘ave I ever let you down,
eh? They will offer promotion and representation to the likes
of Downtown Props, Contract Killers and of course, Serial
<I killed your mother, Mick.>
Killers. The ShowBiz Agent will also work as liaisons for
Yes, my dear. I remember and I paid you well for it, didn’t Rival Companies and Downtown Gangs via the Derwent
I?” Act, but this gets a lot trickier as the stakes are higher and
Saucy Mick’ Michael Pinching, of Saucy Dog SLA Industries’ patience has its limits.
Castings and Entertainments in conversation It’s a tough, dangerous gig and really only fits a very
with Vigadeth, Red Death Cognate (Client). narrow subset of people who excel in the shadier forms of
117
persuasion, charm and manipulation. If a ShowBiz Agent grieving family members whose loved ones fell prey to ‘the
cannot effectively talk his way out of a hostile or even life talent’ and all the arbitrary threats that lurk in Downtown.
threatening situation then he has no business working in the Security usually equals Props, Soft Company henchmen or
profession. The Agent has to be able to approach a Serial Gang Members.
Killer Cognate and within one hour walk away with a 3 year
contract. “Right, so you and your motley band of loonbags did alright
on that last rumble. The clean up crews will be scraping
“Now listen, Vig, I’ve always looked out for you, haven’t I?
DarkNight Agents off that Downtown Sector for days to
Haven’t I been like a Father to you, in like, in some capacity,
come. Now, the good news is Realtime Media picked up the
dear? Haven’t I always brought in the clean up crews when
fight footage and paid a real pretty price.
it got messy and had you swimming in unis even when you
was out of order? Now, the bad news. The cheque you’re looking at has, well,
let’s just there’s going to be a few deductibles before you lot
I couldn’t count the number of times you’ve threatened me
wander off with your wages.
with the vibro sabre, but I always stuck by you, dear. Wasn’t
I the one to get the Red Death’s weapons as a tax deductible? I take my 10% cut, plus expenses. A touch more for the
finder’s fee. The camera crew, clean up crew and craft services
So when I ask you to trust me, I want you to keep all
get their cut and then there’s the inevitable BITE at the end.
that in mind when I make you the offer of a lifetime.
Realtime Media are putting together a GoreZone to end all Yes, look, I know, I know. It’s total bullshit, but they take a
GoreZones, right here in your neck of the woods. Never mind chunk out of us all and we just have to suck it up.
what ‘woods ’are, I need you to get all the Red Deaths out Sooo, it works out at about 300 unis a head. Not bad, eh?
in their best gladrags and kitchen utensils on Friday night, Oh now come on, lads. It’s pretty decent for a night’s work
Vanian Sewer entrance A45, 8 o’clock, sharp. Yes, dear, that’s and you’re just starting out! You’re getting noticed now and
on the PM. I’m orchestrating your whole future. It’s all up from here.
Yes, you’ll be fighting Operatives, Vig. That’s why you’ll be You just trust your Uncle Jimmy and he’ll see you alright…”
on primetime, dear. They’ve all got hard coatings, but soft
Uncle Jimmy Aitkins, Uncle Jimmy Media.
centres; just like chocolate liqueurs. Don’t worry, Vig my
dear, you’ll come out just fine. You always do, that’s why I’m ShowBiz Agent
your agent.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
Now go get Timmy to get me cig and scotch; make it a
double.” 2 2 2 2
‘Saucy Mick’ Michael Pinching, of Saucy CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Dog Castings and Entertainments. 4 5 2 +4
ShowBiz Agents book Serial Killers for live GoreZone and Hit Points Closing Rushing
Blood Zone Hour gigs, television interviews and (heavily 10 2 6
guarded) public appearances, connect them with Soft
Company merchandising and organise book signings. For Skills
such duties the Agent takes a financial cut, which depending Admin and Finance:2 Athletics: 1
on the Agency can be deceptive and considerable. If pulled
up on unreasonable skimming off the top most ShowBiz Bribery: 2 Detect: 2
Agents will easily explain it away on business expenses, Diplomacy: 2 Drive: Civilian
taxation and insurance. There are so many hidden charges, Gambling: 1 Melee Weapons: 1
they will stress and of course security for public events is not
Persuasion: 2 Pistols: 1
cheap.
Stealth: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1
Most ShowBiz Agents come out of grumblings and threats
just fine, because the lives of Serial Killers tend to be so low Equipment
rent that any sort of jingle in their pockets is a welcome
BLA 446m Derringer, CAF Padquil Flak Vest (PV2,
bonus. Their primary focus is murder and the bloodcurdling
Resistance 8) 1d10 Contracts of Dubious Legality.
screams of their victims keeps most happy.
Video Camera, Cheap Alcohol and Narcotics.
Agents spend their busy lives on the phone arranging
bookings, travelling between Central and Downtown Gift of the Gab: ShowBiz Agents roll 2 extra Skill Dice
prepping for live events. In most instances however, ShowBiz on CHA and COOL based Skill Tests.
Agents need their own security around them all the time, to Exit Stage Left: ShowBiz Agents are slippery customers.
protect them from their own clients, irate Shivers and Ops, When fleeing a scene they can reroll the success die on
any failed Skill Test.
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SERIAL KILLERS
Mercy Finger INNER VOICE DRONE

One of the first things a ShowBiz Agent will teach his “Those Shivers over there are laughing at you. They’ve
newly recruited is what’s called The Mercy Finger (also always been laughing at you. Just like your father did when
referred to as the Mercy Gesture). Part of the Serial you wet the bed. Look at their stupid green face masks. Look
Killer’s contractual obligations is to enter the Contract at those fixed grins. You can’t punish your father now; he’s
Circuit and GoreZone events. The result is a free for all dead and gone. But you can take it out on those Shivers.
brawl with SLA Ops, Contract Killers and the worst of Why don’t you head over there and tear out their eyes and
Downtown’s reprobates wading in for the cameras. put them in that special container I gave you?
Naturally, the mortality rate is exceptionally high in Be a good boy.”
these bouts and many Serial Killers can end up in serious
Inner Voice Drone Command.
trouble so the Agent insists they lay down and make the
Mercy Finger, which is a raised hand of submission with As S/D’s profile and finance has grown the network can
the forefinger exposed. afford to branch into new technology. In the last 12 months
As part of the Derwent Act, any Operative or Contract Slice and Dice has replaced all of its SpotBee drones with
Killer has to honour the gesture or face a fine or SCL upgraded Inner Voice Drones.
decrease. This can be exceptionally difficult for the The overall appearance of the new camera drone raised
likes of Stormers and Frothers to comply with, but more than a few eyebrows, with its slick all black chassis
SLA recognises how media friendly Serial Killers have and menacing burning red eyes, the I.V.D seemed to have
become and there’s no point in just killing them off more in common with a hostile Manchine than a piece of
when they’re clearly money makers. recording equipment.
And besides, there’s always next time… Owing to the style of programming on the Slice and Dice
network it was believed just a simple cosmetic choice, but
during a series of interviews the I.V.D designer explained
CHANNEL SLICE AND DICE the motivations behind the dark demeanour.
Channel S/D is a relatively new television network to grace “The Inner Voice is neurally linked to an individual Serial
Mort’s airways. It is a channel which was previously deemed Killer, or spread across all members of a Cognate. When
subversive; operating as a rival news outlet who prided itself linked up, the I.V.D fulfils all the typical features of the
in reporting Operative Squads being destroyed by Serial traditional SpotBee, but Slice and Dice’s new model is able
Killer Cognates. to communicate directly into the mind of the Killer.
A HunterSheet was issued for business tycoon and Slice A specialised team of media experts and trained
and Dice’s Head - Olaf Skog, but SLA’s Realtime Media psychoanalysts can direct and project commands and
intervened before the hit could take place and brokered a suggestions into the Killer’s thought processes, allowing for a
new deal with the soft company. more rewarding and entertaining television experience.
Channel S/D is now a network subsidiary of SLA. It has For the most part, Serial Killers tend to be a little scatter-
ever rising ratings and even the most loathsome Cognates brained and whilst their maniacal actions can be exciting
want to get their face masks on Slice and Dice programs, they still need coaching to maximise viewership.
interviews and events. Serial Killers hooked up to the Drone are not aware that
S/D runs twenty fours hours a day, with prime time being there is a film crew working events via remote. They literally
8 - 12 pm, during which most of the live feed and spectacles think that they are being guided by an inner voice. Of course,
take place. we never let them in on the secret and vehemently deny
rumours: the drone is simply an automated camera, nothing
Blood Soaked Hour is a specific slot at 9 - 10pm, which
more - then we project a thought encouraging the Serial
holds the peak of viewership in the daily run. Blood Soaked
Killer to target a nearby Supermarket.”
Hour is always live and typically involves a popular Cognate
facing off against a deadly threat. On weekends this is usually Prof. Randall Jeffries, New Business,
an equally matched Operative Squad or equivalent team of Channel Slice and Dice.
Contract Killers. On week nights the challengers are more Once an Inner Voice Drone is assigned to a Serial Killer
varied - Carrien, Shiver Patrols, even colourful local fauna Cognate it will never leave their side, filming every one of
seek to tear down the trusty band of murderers. their misdeeds and supplying endless thought projections.
The uni payout on these events are exceptionally good, Even during downtime, the Drone may appear as though it
so Cognates vie hard for that precious primetime slot. So is simply idling in the corner of a shabby Downtown hideout,
coveted is the Blood Soaked Hour that opposing Serial but it is continually scanning the Killers and allowing Inner
Killer groups end up featuring as the live event itself with Voice Command to make their assessments and devise
whoever comes out on top pocketing the evening’s earnings. future commands and directions.
119
The Drone barely works off its inbuilt AI; in a 24 hour

period numerous network staff will play their part in
the I.V.D’s duties. There are camera pilots, advisory
psychoanalysts, showrunners and voice actors operate, direct
and speak through the Inner Voice Drone.
The Inner Voice Drone needs serious protection to spend
so much time around such aggressive, volatile individuals and
is equipped with Exo armour level carapace and is equipped
with a converted Deciding Vote Shotgun or Thug Machine
Pistol on its right arm.
I.V.D Operators do not tend to use the weapon port with
lethal intent when it comes to their assigned Cognate. The
shotgun is only meant to wound overly hostile Serial Killers,
to act as a visual deterrent and in extreme cases to aid the
Cognate if they are under threat from external opposition,
such as Carrien or Manchine attacks. The I.V.D drone will
only intervene if the odds are stacked against the Cognate.
If the threat is clearly winning the network will regrettably
pull the drone out; the I.V.D is simply too valuable a piece
of equipment for it to fall into the hands of an inventive and
opportunistic Manchine or Prop.
Inner Voice Drone

STR DEX COOL INIT
1 3 N/A +3
PV Resistance Hit Points Movement
“I’ve been on surveillance duty for six hours; here is my 7 24 30 6
report. Fairly low activity during the time frame. Mickey
Software
Monster was talking in his sleep again; ‘still not gotten over
his sister’s death when he was a kid. He got pretty loud and Detect: 3 Rifle: 2
woke up Plain Jane. Stealth: 3
Oh, she’s a relatively new addition to the family. She likes
Intergrated Equipment
to skin faces but she needs to get permission from ‘Da-Da’.
So, she’s in a bit of a mood and combined sexual frustration 6 Brood Drones, IVD Comms System, Deciding
and sleep deprivation. She starts talking to the Drone. Vote Shotgun or Thug Submachine Gun.
Professor Walden managed to dissuade her from slitting
Brood Drone
Mickey’s throat, but I do think she’s running the risk of
making a powerplay for Da-Da’s position. STR DEX COOL INIT
Da’s way beyond her capabilities right now and he’s scoring 0 2 N/A +2
high on the ratings, ‘has been for awhile. I think we either PV Resistance Hit Points Movement
need to defuse that situation quickly or start funnelling
5 10 10 4
suspicions of betrayal into Da-Da’s head regarding Plain
Jane. Software
Jane’s got potential, however and I don’t think we should Detect: 2 Stealth: 3
axe her just yet.
I’ll be filling a report on the Heads Will Roll Cognate later Intergrated Equipment
today. We likely need to deal with that quickly as that crew is Short Range Radio System, FEN ECM Cape.
getting dangerously close to our characters.
I’ll get back to you around 6pm this evening. I’m grabbing Fitted into the back of the I.V.D are two clusters of mini
a power nap, catch you on the D-L.” drones, known as the Brood. These mini drones are typically
Jenny Spiros, Advisor Executive, Inner Voice concealed from the Serial Killers and are only brought out
Command - Family Values Cognate. during the Cognate’s downtime. The Brood drones are no
120
SERIAL KILLERS
larger than a human palm and are fitted with ECM cloaking
so as long they don’t move too quickly or erratically they are
not immediately visible to the naked eye.
Brood drones serve to capture 2nd unit footage and to
provide extra surveillance of the Killers, effectively spying
on them and granting unparalleled access to the Cognate’s
inner lives.
CHANNEL YESTERYEAR
Channel Yesteryear deals in pure nostalgia, airing old
shows and classic fights from the TV archives on repeat 24
hours a day. The program schedules can span the centuries,
but just like Channel Slice and Dice, the focus is centred on
the lives and deeds of Serial Killers.
In the programming loop, a viewer can watch reruns
of beloved shows like Hack the Knife - a vintage black
and white show from 265sd. in which Operative Harold
Triggerman chases down the infamous Hack the Knife, who
always manages to escape capture at the end of an episode
and the Niner Era classic Down in the Sewers at Midnight,
which marked a resurgence in the ‘fly on the wall filming’
of Ops performing BPNs. The grainy handheld footage of
Op Squads taking Blue BPNs on a Friday night proved very
popular at the turn of the ninth century, especially as each
episode promises a brutal run-in with a resident Cognate.
Of all the shows listed on Yesteryear, Down in the Sewers at
Midnight gets the most airtime simply because the channel
has the rights to over 4567 hour long episodes. Many
drunken Operatives and Shivers will saunter back home
with a takeaway curry in the early hours of the morning and “Dear Sir/Madam,
tune into a scratchy repeat episode whilst chicken vindaloo Hello, it’s Gunsmoke Gordon, of Family Values Cognate
sauce trickles down their chin. writing to you again with more suggestions for Bonky
Street. You really need to have Susan the Cookie Maker on
BONKY STREET the show more often. She is so hot, I want to screw her bad.
I have to say I don’t like she changed her hair from blonde to
Bonky Street began life as a children’s TV show warning its
reddish blonde. I don’t like redheads and you need to tell her
young viewers of stranger danger. The studio’s sets depicted a
that. I’d like her phone number so I can send her gifts, so may
typical Downtown Street, but populated with a mix of adult
I suggest I make a free appearance on your show in return for
actors, street kids and a variety of adorable puppets.
the number. I’ll bring along my best firearms and perform a
Bonky Street had a saccharine tone and was rather demonstration for the Bonky Street kids. It will be awesome
condescending towards children. The audience transformed and everyone wins.
over time into adult viewers enthused by the ridiculous
Also, you never replied to my last three letters about the
irony of the show and took to wearing slogans and t-shirts
tear on the side of Cuddly Carl’s costume. You still haven’t
depicting silly puppet characters directly from Bonky Street.
fixed that and that makes me mad. Sometimes I get so crazy
The producers of Bonky Street quickly realised they were when people don’t listen to me and I black out and bad things
gaining greater viewership and earning more revenue by happen, so you might want to sort out that issue for next
embracing the lunacy of their brand and subsequently lent episode.
into it. The show continued to present itself as a program
Anyway, loving the show and please let Susan know I love
for kids, but now increased the sinister qualities and added
her more than any man in Mort City. We belong together.
tongue in cheek gore for laughs.
Change back to blonde.
The real tragedy was that genuine Serial Killers unironically
Hope to hear from you,
enjoy the show and will repeatedly write in letters to the
production company requesting guest appearances and Gordon.”
disturbing suggestions on how to improve the show. - Gunsmoke Gordon, Family Values Cognate
121
Much like the Chain Scythe, the Munchy Man is difficult

TOOLS OF CHOICE to wield; the motors on the hammer head and the overall
A whole range of new weapons and armour are now vibrations created by the chain devices threaten to loosen the
available to Serial Killers throughout Downtown. Lots of grip on the user, so a high degree of strength and deftness are
tasty new evisceration tools can be purchased from all good required to swing the weapon.
stockists for very reasonable prices. Munchy Man Hammer Cost: 2000u
SKILL: Polearm
MELEE WEAPONS
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
Chain Scythe 2d10+2 8 3 3
The Chain Scythe is a variation on the Chain Axe made Munchy Man Hammers need a strength of 3
by Gardener Defence Strategies, unlicensed and unsafe. It’s to wield. After each swing, unless the user has
a popular weapon for serial killers looking for a fearsome a STR of 5 or more, a Recover action must
silhouette. be taken before making another attack.
Should a serious failure be rolled when attacking
with a Munchy Man Hammer, before a Recover
action can be made, a Strength test against a
difficulty of 8 must be made. If this test fails
the user must make another test next round or
surrender the weapon as it drops from their grip.
SlingBlade
A strange looking weapon was found by DarkNight
Agents during a scouting mission around the borders of the
Three Points district. It looked like an odd mix of axe and
polearm. They supposed it could be a Cannibal weapon of
some description. The weapon had a strange brown organic
looking handle and the blade was not ceramic but an older
looking metal of some sort.
Chain Scythe Cost: 2500u Since the weapon was clearly unpowered but an object
of interest they eventually sold it on the black market in
SKILL: Polearm Downtown for 50 unis. It sat untouched on a dealer’s shelf
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT in District 3 for more than a year until a design employee
2D10 8 4 3 at Gardener Defence Strategies liked the look of it and
purchased it for the discounted price of 35 unis.
Should a serious failure be rolled when attacking with
a Chain Scythe, along with the usual need to take the
Recover action during the next combat round, the user
is also hurt by the weapon, taking 4 DMG and 2 AD.
Munchy Man Hammer
The Munchy Man Hammer is a heavy, two handed weapon
with two chain surfaces terminating on either sides of the
head. The chain sections are four separate saws working in GDS set about modifying the basic design, sprucing it up
tandem, delivering immense amounts of damage, effectively to appeal to their Serial Killer customer base, added vibro
chewing through armour and flesh with relative ease, earning features and released to market as a SlingBlade.
its ‘Munchy’ title.
“I love it. The SlingBlade’s got some real heft to it. I swung
this baby at a Shiver’s head and it damn near cleaved it in
two, right through the Body Blocker. The fans seem to like it
too, I had this 8 year old come up after a Gorezone with a
SlingBlade made out of cardboard and asked me to sign it!
Brilliant! It’s clearly working in my favour!”
Stabby McStabster ‘The Muzzles’ Cognate.
122
SERIAL KILLERS
SlingBlade Cost: 2000u “Look, these guys are idiots. They’ll think it looks cool. Trust
us, they’ll sell.”
SKILL: Polearm or Melee Weapons
Recording, GDS Board Meeting
2D10-4 6 3 3 And so the board decided to put their faith in their design
team, if perhaps not the ridiculous weapon itself. The
The Slingblade is prone to getting stuck in armour.
designers of the Complete Bastard Dagger were proven
Should a damage roll be insufficient to penetrate PV it
correct; it flew of the shelves and directly into murder victims
is considered lodged tight and a STR roll is needed to
all across Downtown. Everyone was delighted, except for
retrieve the Slingblade. Should the Slingblade be left in
anyone on the receiving end of a CBD, that is.
the armour it will inflict Min DMG and AD on the next
turn before the vibrations of the blade allow it to escape. Budding Serial Killers did indeed think the dagger was
deadly cool and whilst it wasn’t exactly great slashing foes;
Complete Bastard Dagger the jagged edges tended to snag on practically anything from
armour, clothing to bits of string, it was however pretty good
“So, I say it should be called The Mauler!!” at impaling. The weapon was also excessively heavy enough
“There’s already a Mauler. The Mauler Axe is a Carrien to double up as a makeshift club.
Weapon, I read about it in Threat Analysis weekly. And Just as the designers at Gardener Defence Strategies
there’s also a club called a Mauler, I think…” intended, the effectiveness was not the primary objective.
“Okay, how about … The Ripper!!” The main aim was to be aesthetically pleasing to homicidal
“Carrien have Ripper Gauntlets and there used to be a maniacs and it was. Job done. Ex Mass bonuses all round.
Klip Killer Weapon called a Ripper, bloody hell Jeff, are you
even trying? Do you need more coffee?” Complete Bastard Dagger Cost: 1000u
“Shit. Fucking Carrien… Well, you’re not helping much, SKILL: Melee Weapons
Frank! Try putting some effort in, we have to submit an ad DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
to management in 4 hours, I mea-”
1D10-4 1 0 1
“Jeff, I’ve been pulling my bloody hair out for 18 hours
The CBD is prone to getting caught in clothing or
trying to come up with a name and it’s all already taken.
light armour. On a Serious Failure the blade snags
And I have nothing. Literally nothing. Mutilator, Slasher,
on the target and if the target has higher STR
Thrasher, Butcher, Mangler, we’re clearly running out of
than the wielder the wielder is disarmed. On an
ways to describe murdering people…”
Exceptional success the target is caught by the CBD
“Bollocks,… Bollocks!! Maybe I should nip in the loo and and must make a complex STR roll to escape.
rub one out; I’ve always got a clearer head after a wank.”
“Mister Stabby!”
“There’s already a Contract Killer called Mister Stabby.
RANGED WEAPONS
Also, Captain Stabby, Major Stabby and Stabby McStabster.” MKII Buzzkill Gun
“Are you being facetious, Frank?”
“No, they’re all real. And they have lawyers.” “Wait a minute, that gun looks familiar, where did you ge-
oww!!!”
“Wait!!! I’ve got it! Let’s call it -”
Griv Satto, Wraithen, SCL 9a, Squad
The Complete Bastard Dagger is a large, flamboyant - ‘Tigermoth Chancers’.
combat knife on sale from Gardener Defence Strategies.
With all of its barbs, points and decorative features it is a Gardener Defence Strategies just recently released a
far cry from the effective and elegant Mac Knife. When projectile weapon to the Serial Killer that has proven
the first drafts of the CBD were first unveiled to the board exceedingly popular - The MKII BuzzKill. The gun is
of directors there was general sniggering all round, but the roughly the size of an SMG, but fires a unique ammo type -
designers were quick to point out the target demographic. a serrated circular blade.
The BuzzKill clearly takes inspiration from the outmoded
VibroDisc which was once available to SLA Operatives
throughout the World Of Progress, although there are slight
differences between the two firearms. The positioning of the
disc emitter is vertical, instead of horizontal, the Buzzkill
uses highly compressed air to propel the saw blades, but the
primary difference is the new version is highly experimental.
123
This is the Mark II variant; the first model’s compressor

exploded in the inventor’s hands - Kirill Kuznetsov, blasting
saw blades into his face, killing him instantly.
MKII Buzzkill Gun Cost: 4750c
Skill: Support Weapons

1d10+3 5 2 0
1 0 35m 4 40 Slash Armour Cost: 3000u

RULES: When a Buzzkill Gun hits a target the damage PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT
done after PV is doubled for the purpose of determining
whether it causes an injury. On a serious failure the 4 10 2
release mechanism triggers late and sends the disc flying Boogeyman Armour
out through the gun. Roll a 1d10 on a 1 it doesn’t hit
StraitJacket Inc’s current Powered Armour model is known
the wielder and instead inconveniences an ally. Either
as the ‘Boogeyman’. The schematics for the suit were donated
way, normal damage is dealt to the party hit by the
to the company by Realtime Media. The Boogeyman
gun, which is essentially destroyed in the process.
Armour had not been in service since 500sd and was used by
Operatives trained in guerilla fighting and assigned to defeat
ARMOUR rival companies on the jungle terrain of Resource World -
Paragore.
Slash Armour
Initially the armour suit was titled ‘Golem’ but after word
Slash is a new armour type favoured by the majority of spread of war atrocities occurring on Paragore by Ops dressed
Mort based Serial Killers. It is non powered, but it is tough in this armour, the name was changed to Boogeyman.
and durable, offering protection and flexibility similar to that
More outlandish folklore spread about the Boogeyman
of SLA Industries’ Body Blocker armour.
Armour suit.
Slash Armour is manufactured by the Soft Company
- StraitJacket Inc. They managed to stay in business via
the Derwent Act but under the stipulation that they sell
exclusively to Serial KIllers, Channel S/D and ShowBiz
Associates vetted by SLA Industries.
StraitJackets offers a wide range of customisations for the
standard Slash model template, these alterations are entirely
cosmetic for the most part, but a unique look is essential if a
Serial Killer is going to climb the ratings chart. With decent
sponsorship or ShowBiz Agent wrangling a Killer can get
duplicate suits at discounted prices. The most common
remodel is the helmet or mask of the Slash Armour suit,
coming in a staggeringly diverse range of colours, moulds
and styles.
If the Serial Killer proves popular enough with the network
they will typically hire one of StraitJacket’s exclusive
designers to build a whole wardrobe for the Serial Killer in a
similar fashion to SLA’s wealthier Contract Killers.
124
SERIAL KILLERS
Boogeyman Armour Cost: 40,000u Killer chooses to do so they can hold onto it and give the
attacker a penalty equal to their strength.
10 36 2 The Slasher:
In addition to a Weight factor not fully compensated The Slasher is a small muckraker tabloid publication sold
by the exoskeleton, this suit reduces the Closing and in newsagents and convenience stores through the many
Rushing speeds of the character by 1. Its intrinsic Districts of Inner Downtown. It explores, in rather lurid
stealth modifications grant +1 to Stealth checks detail, the lifestyles and activities of established Serial
so long as the suit is moving at Closing speed. Killer Cognates. The Slasher promotes its topics of
interest like movie stars or celebrities, taking the most
scant shred of information and grossly inflating the
EQUIPMENT minutia to fit an exciting and captivating narrative, or
titvating rumour.
SERIAL KILLER MASKS Accuracy is only a moderate concern; just as long as the
article has an exaggerated alliterative heading and reader
Most Serial Killers have a Mask. While a Mask starts off
base is titillated this is all that really matters.
as a practicality to avoid detection, soon it becomes more
recognisable than the face beneath it. Then it becomes the The Slasher has only been in circulation for a few short
person, with the face beneath a disguise for the masked killer. years, but it already has a sizable following, especially
Killing Masks grant the Serial Killer additional confidence among Shivers who like to thumb through the salacious
and allow them the permission to fulfil their most depraved stories and photos on their lunch breaks.
fantasies. Some Killers even claim their Masks talk to them A new issue of The Slasher hits the outlets every
and give them orders, a claim Naga-7 is keen to investigate. Thursday so journalists and editors have to hussle fast
Killing Mask to put together a compelling publication every week and
meet the demand.
The secondary identity of the Killing Mask allows the
Serial Killer to become immune to Fear. Some killers gain The Slasher has evolved over time based on how the
additional effects from wearing their Masks. If a character homicidal subjects in question have addressed this
grabs a Serial Killer’s Mask they will become enraged and growing fame and notoriety. When the paper was first
gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls, but if the Mask can be released the majority of Cognates regarded The Slasher
removed all Mask related powers cease and the Serial Killer with a certain degree of hostility, as though the nasty
suffers 5 points of psychosomatic damage. little rag was either poking fun at their work or exposing
important details about their lives. As the issues stacked
Beast Mask up and shipped out the attention seeking natures of
A Beast Mask is a special type of Mask that helps the Mort’s Serial Killers inevitably kicked in and the only
wearer regress into a state reminiscent of an animal. The times in which they were truly offended is when they
Serial Killer acts as if they had the stats and skills of that weren’t mentioned in the latest Slasher.
creature, though they do not possess the senses, Hit Points It didn’t particularly matter if the Slash Journos got the
or Physical attacks of that creature. Common Beasts are facts wrong or the writing style was a tad too verbose,
Carnivorous Pigs and Feral Dogs. Serial Killers wearing just as long as the Cognate looked good and scary for
a Beast Mask are not immune to Fear, nor do they suffer the masses.
damage from its removal.
Blank Mask “What’s happening in this issue? Well, some young bint is
madly in love with Looney Bin and apparently he’s put a
A Blank Mask is just that, a featureless hood or blank face
bun in her oven. ‘Her mum’s mad about it. Heh and some
covering. It is often worn by Serial Killers in their early days
guy grassed on the Family Values Cognate and the Slasher
before they decide on a gimmick to model themselves on.
took a photo of him! Put his name in and everything! Ha!
It offers no benefits for the Serial Killer beyond anonymity.
He’s bloody dead when Da Da catches up to him…”
Over time as bloodstains and tears mark the Mask it can
become a Killing Mask though it’s just as common for the Shiver Patrolman Briggs (on his lunch break).
Mask to be thrown away and replaced.
Removing a Mask: Grabbing a Mask requires a

Strenuous Unarmed Combat Skill Test. Once Grabbed
the attacker must make a Challenging Unarmed Combat
Skill Test to remove it. If this second test fails the attacker
can try again next combat round, though if the Serial
125
SLA INDUSTRIES
Continued from Page 49 “Shit, Todd! The Slops are here, ma-” he cried out, reaching
down for a sidearm at his belt.
“Stay down. Do not fire unless he starts searching.”
Harris whispered, readying his Fen AR, training it on the A plethora of drugs and alcohol had flooded the man’s
screaming man. nervous system for decades and he was slower than his
conscious mind understood. He’d barely a chance to draw
Todd stumbled back to his seat, threw back a filthy blanket
his CAF pistol, before Harris shot him with a short burst
and clumsily hoisted up a DarkNight ‘Stumpy’ Shotgun
of 10mm ammo. Two rounds struck the man, one sank in
from under the chair, working the pump. He stepped
his neck, the other caught him directly above his left eye,
towards the edge of the blackness.
blowing out a chunk of brain.
“I got some 10 gauge here waitin’ for ya! I ain’t scared of
Todd squinted in the direction of Greyson.
your motherfucking tricks!”
“What the fuuuck is that…?” Todd slurred. The effects of
Todd raised the gun high and fired a blind round into the
Bond X Glue had finally caught up to Todd’s brain and now
darkness. The shotgun blast echoed across the blackness. A
his vision was bursting with coloured lights, ears deafened
moment later the air was filled with the distant sound of pig
by the car horns and strange distorted music.
grunts.
Greyson was little more than a grey smudge in the distance
Todd began to pace around the area of light, trying to peer
but Todd took aim. A split second before he pulled the
through the gaps in the rusty dead cars. The two other men
trigger, his companion’s blood sprayed across his cheek,
had both returned to the respective chairs, lazily reaching
causing the shotgun blast to miss wildy.
for their drinks, but Todd remained vigilant.
“Shit, bastard!” Todd roared and stumbled down into the
“Todd, jeez man, sit back down. You’re making me
carpark.
nervous.”
The Aethernaut ducked between two cars and disappeared
Todd swung back and staggered over to his seat.
from Jane’s field of view. She turned back to their assailants
“Yeah, well Ronnie makes me nervous, asshole.” and trained her shotgun on Bubbles, who was standing
weaponless and in a panicked loss for what to do.
Harris relaxed his weapon stance and motioned for Jane
and Greyson to follow. He turned and began creeping He gazed down at his friend’s blasted remains, blood
further down the rows of cars towards the exit. seeping from the gaping gunshot wounds.
Jane was about to move when Greyson’s gloved hand “T-Todd, I think Bobby’s hurt.”
grabbed her shoulder.
As he reached down for Bobby’s CAF pistol, Jane got
“Stay calm, but be on high alert. Now.” ready to fire as he rose back into view.
His voice was tight and commanding. Greyson motioned A clawed hand grabbed Jane and wrenched her away from
back to the party table. The boy’s body was gone. the firefight, sending her spinning across the concrete,
slamming into the side of a car.
“Harris, you there?” Greyson asked.
Her armour took most of the brunt of the collision, but she
“What now? The chuckleheads are back in their wanking
could feel the pain searing through her back. Jane struggled
thrones, what’s keeping you?”
to her feet and saw the Titter advancing upon her.
“We’ve got a Dream Entity in here with us.”
The Dream Entity was a smiling little boy, but his leering
“Greyson’s what the fuck are you tal-” expression was little more than a mess of squirming maggots,
“It’s Ronnie.” seeping punctures wounds and grey festering skin.
As if on some unprompted cue, music began to fill the car “My name is Ronnie. And today is my birthday. Can you
park. The sound of a horn section, timed clapping, crash of guess how many candles are on my cake?”
cymbals. Long dead headlights on the cars sparked into life, Jane’s instinct to retaliate led her to empty hands and she
machines began to revve. The truck next to Jane sounded clenched and unclenched her fists as if willing the weapon
its horn, encouraging numerous other cars to call out in into her grasp. She could then see the Bully Boy shotgun
unison. lying just within reach of the Dream Entity. It placed its
“What the fuck!?” Todd stood back up, shotgun in hand. sneaker on the weapon and stared at Jane, tilting its head.
“Ronnie, you fucking cunt!!” “Why don’t you come to my party? We can sniff glue and
Bubbles turned and looked directly at Harris, now exposed blow out the candles.” Ronnie grinned, spilling greenish
in the flashing car lights. saliva between the gaps in his fangs.
126
DEEP CONSTRUCT
“Not today, Ronnie.” Jane drew her Fen 603 and fired at Then she was running, stumbling behind Harris and
the Titter. Three 10mm rounds hit the Entity directly in its Greyson towards the dimly lit exit. She glanced back briefly
torso and passed straight through, casting off tendrils of to see Ronnie wasn’t in pursuit, but he was still looming over
black vapour. Todd who was now twitching on the floor. The Titter threw
Todd’s guts into the air like party streamers and watched
Ronnie gazed down at the smouldering holes in his t-shirt,
them fall.
then cast a frown at Jane.
“Party time!!!” Ronnie cheered.
“I’ll blow out YOUR FUCKING CANDLE!” the Entity
roared and charged towards Jane. +++
Jane kept firing but the Entity was unhindered. It was They hadn’t run far from Ronnie’s hunting grounds,
almost upon her when it was engulfed in blue light and entering into what passed for a civilian housing sector,
bright arcs of buzzing electricity. but the streets were deathly quiet. A few civilians here and
there gathered around fires blazing in battered trash cans.
Ronnie screamed in pain and fear, pitching back away
Flickering orange glows highlighted their worn faces and
from Jane.
suspicious eyes, but they made no move to approach or
Greyston was then at her side, dragging her up with his follow the SLA Operatives that crept past them with their
free hand, in the other he was still pointing his Jolt Gun at guns drawn.
the Titter.
Within an hour Harris directed them to the back of
“Get up!” He hissed over Jane’s earpiece. a crumbling apartment block. One of the ground floor
windows was loosely shuttered with a flimsy iron sheet,
Ronnie was now crouched down, rubbing his right
which he and Jane prised away and got inside.
shoulder where the Hotline round struck him. He glared at
Greyson. The apartment was completely gutted of all appliances and
belongings and didn’t appear to have been occupied in years,
“You cheated. And it’s my birthday, you prick!” Ronnie
but it would do for one night before continuing on.
snarled.
“Ronald Rottenhead, aka Ronnie Rotter. Also known as
“Yes. It’s your birthday every day, isn’t it, Ronnie? The only
‘Birthday Boy’.” Greyson murmured as he read aloud. He
present you’ll be getting is a FOW Staff across your cheek.
was holding his book - Braddock’s Menagerie, in one hand
Fancy it?”
and his torch in the other, lighting the pages. “Says here he
Ronnie’s rage melted into apprehension. He narrowed his resides in another District down, in a playground situated in
eyes, then dissolved away into shadowy steam and vanished Sector 14. It appears he’s moved, I better make a note about
among the ancient vehicles. this to Catalogue.”
The flashing car headlights and blaring music ceased the “Fucksake, keep it down, Greyson!” Harris said, wiping the
moment Ronnie vanished. It was dark and quiet once more, blood from his armour with an old rag, “My head’s bloody
save for the wet sound of gurgling. killing me. You got any HeadSolve?”
Jane looked back towards the light and saw Harris “No.” Greyson replied, switching off his torch, hooking it
straddling Bubbles, he’d shoved a Mac knife up under to his shoulder harness and then lifted a small battered tin
his chin and now gouts of blood were pumping from the from his pocket. He eased off the lid and held the open tray
puncture wound. out to Harris.
“Eyes open!” Harris shouted, “That asshole Todd is still “Here, have a mint. It’ll take your mind off it.”
out there!”
“I want a clear head, not fresh breath, Greyson, but go on.”
The air was shredded with high pitched squealing. At first Harris said, taking a lozenge from the open container and
Jane thought it was a wounded pig dying in the darkness, popping it in his mouth.
but following the sound she saw Todd drenched in blood
Harris sucked on it for a second, raised his eyebrows and
from the waist down, he was on his knees now, head thrown
nodded in appreciation.
back howling.
“Mmm. Not bad.”
Ronnie was crouched next to him yanking out red ropes of
his intestines and clutching them joyously to Titter’s chest. “Mr Minty never fails.” Greyson smiled, placing the lid
back on the tin.
“For me?” Ronnie beamed, “You shouldn’t have!”
Continued on Page 224
“Grab your shotgun, Jane, it’s time to go.”
127
SCARY MONSTERS
“Threat Analysis really has its work cut out when it comes will remain in this psychotic state until they are finally shot
to Collateral. It’s such a broad category and everything’s in dead. Very often by each other.
there. They have to cross reference everything - Cannibals, The sad reality is Ex-War Criminals roam free because
Carrien, Ex-War Criminals and then there’s all different they make for great television ratings and SLA Industries is
locations you may or may not find them in. certainly not shy about throwing civilians (or everyone else)
Station Analysis wants me to categorise what threat I’m in the line of fire. Naturally, SLA Industries has to marshal
facing and half the time I don’t bloody know! It could be a the invasion of Ex-War Criminals into Downtown. Not least
KZ mutation, a really well concealed Manchine or a Dream because property damage can exceed the monetary value of
Entity! the TV ratings and merchandise.
So I just say the same thing every time they ask - it is a The ex-military crazies much prefer life in the Cannibal
Scary Monster, now when do I get paid?” Sectors (most especially CS3) where they can really cut
Kyle ‘Crosshair’ Gregory, Human Operative, loose and the only challengers tend to be opposing Ex-War
SCL 9, Squad ‘Make it a Double.’ Criminal armies and other hostile Collateral threats.
The Ex-War Criminals were initially enticed to Cannibal
The most common Collateral threats are creatures and Sector 3, via TV and radio reports stating SLA Military
denizens that inhabit the wilder regions of Mort: the stockpiling War World grade ammunition and weaponry in
subterranean sewer pipes in Downtown and the ruins of secret silos in the region.
Cannibal Sector One. All synch enemies of the companies This misinformation has recently been broadcast by a
have been driven as far from view as possible, in an attempt relatively new face on the SLA media scene, Sam Hain of
to simply forget about them. Realtime Media, reviving a centuries old rumour to direct
As a result, left unchecked the scary monsters have utilised and contain the threat and minimise damage done by these
their isolation and abandonment, growing stronger and unhinged individuals.
tougher with each passing year, until they become utterly It worked well, tempting the Ex-War Criminals to venture
ingrained and immovable within the fabric of the World of out into the ruins for a fight and a restock. This lie gradually
Progress. became truth, when SLA realised they had a potential TV hit
The sad reality is that in each instance, the Collateral on their hands, with the executives authorised to allow the
threats like the Ex War Criminal, the Carrien and Cannibal fabled equipment and ammo to be dropped into the region,
are the byproduct of SLA Industries’ neglect and ruthless further encouraging the myth, driving more and more of the
capitalism. Ex-War Criminals to the Sector.
Another happenstance of the broadcast lie becoming a
EX-WAR CRIMINALS reality is that the Sector is regularly inundated with Gang
deserters, Downtown desperados and soldier wannabes
Ex-War Criminals are considered some of the deadliest, entering Sector 3 hoping to stumble upon a military cache
most well trained and equipped enemies found on Mort. only to find themselves providing cannon fodder for the
It is a considerable relief to most SLA Operatives that the nightly broadcasts. The idea was proven profitable - and Sam
lunatics in BattleSuits are largely confined to Cannibal Haine was ready to spin the mythos for all it was worth.
Sector 3 and left there to rot. Sam set about devising a new show to explore the madness
Owing to their high threat status many desire to classify of Sector 3 - ‘Showdown in NewTown’, often abbreviated
the Ex-War Criminals as ‘Corporate Threats’ but in reality to simply ‘Showdown’. Countless Spot Bee drones flying
these lethal military veterans are not so different from the out into CS3 to record what has essentially become the
Cognate Serial Killers. They cannot be reasoned with, hired war on Mort as differing renown Ex-War Criminals vie for
or bartered with. They live within a perpetual delusion that supremacy in the Newtown region of Cannibal Sector 3.
they are still fighting for SLA on the War Worlds and they
128
SCARY MONSTERS
The rise in popularity of the show and hence Ex-War

Criminals has spawned a new threat type - the EWC Fanatic.
TOXIC FANDOM
Some individuals have become so obsessed with Showdown
that they have gotten tooled up and journeyed out to serve
under the command of a resident Ex-War Criminal.
The first wave were simply shot down by the paranoid
ex-military but as subsequent EWC Fanatics approached,
bearing their specific colour schemes and insignias, they let
their guard down and began building whole squads built on
paranoid delusions, skewed ideologies and wild fantasies.
Fanatics are as lunatic as their self appointed commanders,
but they aren’t foolish enough to arrive in the Cannibal
Sector dressed in Striker Light Armour and armed with
CAF weaponry. Most have spent time saving for, or simply
looting for DarkNight grade weapons and armour. Others
have murdered Shivers, stolen their gear and repainted them.
It’s believed that the CS3 section of the Sector Wall is the
most lax of the 5 Sectors and tends to turn a blind eye to
those creeping out into the crumbling city. All that matters
is that the inhabitants do not try to force their way back in.
Most do not, however; they simply do not live long enough
to change their minds…
SPECIAL GUESTS
Showdown in Newtown has become insanely popular in
a relatively short space of time and it seems everyone has
gotten in the action. DarkNight is more than happy to wade
in, presenting an entirely new threat - aptly, if not creatively
named, ‘Rival company Ex-War Criminals”, also dressed in
their own DN brand BattleSuits, like Rebel Roar Armour.
Conflict Aliens too have been known to show up, having
crept into CS3 via the wastelands and No Go Zone. One of
the most viewed Thursday night episodes was when arguably
the show’s most beloved character - ‘Max Capacity’ and his
crew went up against a Momic and Ashan force.
Max is one of the few Ex-War Criminals to acknowledge
the clandestine Spot Bees and not gun them down. He has
a modicum of sanity and allows the cameras to follow him
on his adventures in Newtown. Most episodes begin with
an update from some of the CS3 Wall Shivers, who also
provide some running commentary throughout the show’s
45 minute slot.
Showdown has in essence created the dreaded Silver/
Black BPN, in which Operatives (and occasionally, heavy
duty Contract Killers) are sent out to challenge an Ex-
War Criminal or complete an specific objective. Most will
have avoided ‘the Showdown BPN’ like the plague, but the
likes of Frothers, Stormers and most especially Shaktars are
desperate to get in on the pile up - it’s the closest most of
129
them will ever get to enjoying, or enduring, the insanity of

a War World.
THE RIGHT STUFF
While Mort is a planet blighted with uncaring violence and
Showdown in Newtown! - It’s All Go! Tune at 8pm
an apathetic public, at least it can look at the depredations of
Thursday for the military mosh pit! Only on Realtime
a War World and be somewhat relieved that things haven’t
- More Real Than Reality.
yet reached this crisis point.
War Worlds are places of ceaseless conflict where the
WAR NAMES average life expectancy of a new recruit is approximately 23
When Ex-War Criminals are discharged from military hours. Lasting a single day is deemed a success, if a soldier
service they are stripped of their rank and are meant to return can last a week it borders on miraculous. Most SLA Military
to civilian status. Most Ex-War Criminals will however soldiers reach their R&R and have typically seen at least 500
adopt the nicknames they earned or gave themselves during squad members die.
years of warfare. Those that can make it through the first weeks of life on
These titles bear a striking resemblance to the colourful bon a War World are deemed to have ‘the right stuff ’ - a bold
mots of the Circuit’s Contract Killers, with names like Max mix of bravery, skill and aggression. Within a month of
Capacity, Critical Hit, Carrie Cadence, Kill Gore and Little serving the SLA Military on planets like Dante and Cross,
Drummer Boy. the soldier only survive because they change dramatically,
compartmentalising their humanity and morals. They will
Often this naming is not the invention of the Ex War
carry out orders to the letter and execute subversives and
Criminal, but is ascribed to them through their gruesome
company rivals without question or doubt.
deeds by their own troops. Realtime Media and showrunners
also spend considerable time assigning memorable titles for Tours on the War Worlds last around six weeks and R&R
the TV stars. is usually spent in the barracks on one of the neighbouring
moons. Very few are given leave to return to Industrial
worlds like Mort because the company wants its loyal troops
to maintain their focus.
“War is hell. I like hell.”

“Squeak” Gurnthe, Ex-War Criminal.
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SCARY MONSTERS
Most soldiers only serve on the War Worlds for a few

gruelling years (within which time around 75% of the
IN ZEAL WE TRUST
recruits are killed in action), but the true veterans can enlist The soldiers returning from the War Worlds have endured
for decades, practically living in their worn and weathered a lifetime of continual violence, horror and hardship. They
BattleSuits. have lost friends, killed countless enemies, performed and
When they finally retire from service it is usually at the suffered unspeakable acts of wanton violence, horror and
behest of SLA Industries and whether they like it or not, torture.
they are shipped back to Mort and given no choice but to It would take more than strong will, loyalty and a heavy
try and reintegrate. duty BattleSuit to see a SLA War World soldier through the
For the majority of retired soldiers the real war is waged as years of service to the company and a little pharmaceutical
they try in vain to readjust to city life. It is an experience sold boosting goes a long way.
to them as ‘peace and quiet’, but their environment is now For centuries, the SLA Military has endorsed the usage
Downtown or Suburbia, so they are fed yet more lies. of Zeal - an extremely powerful combat drug available only
Gunshots at night in the street outside will keep them to those fighting on the front lines of War Worlds. The
primed for attack. Strangers pass them looking all too original tag line for this notorious drug was ‘Find Your Inner
similar to the insurgents they were killing in the war zones. Stormer.’ and by all accounts this wasn’t that much of an
They spend weeks waiting for an acclimatisation meeting to exaggeration.
hand back the weapons and armour they mustered out with, Zeal increased strength, durability and induced a potent
only to receive cancellation card after cancellation card, each sense of euphoria and unwavering courage in the user. In
promising a meeting next week. Jobs are thin on the ground this, the drug earned its name; the user was flooded with
and none of them are even close to suiting a highly strung feelings of patriotic zeal and a burning hatred for the enemy
ex-soldier. he’d been sent to eliminate.
By the time a soldier gets their Form 672 which is The problem was the drug’s effects might vacate the body
messaged “Thank you for your service” severance check with in time, but the effects on the psyche did not. If soldiers
deductions for the six appointments they never rescheduled shot up enough Zeal and spent prolonged tours on the War
most will suffer an inevitable breakdown. Worlds it was guaranteed the conflict would ingrain itself in
Much like the Downtown Serial Killer, there is a distinct their core. The war would follow them wherever they went.
and singular trigger that transforms the retired soldier
into the Ex-War Criminal. They switch from struggling to “Zeal is as much a component of the Ex-War Criminal as
maintain into utter indulgence in violence. the War World is. Zeal is why you have so many of those
guys exhibiting the same psychotic behaviours and delusions.
“Reintegrate…ha! These guys are fucked up beyond Their brains are either under the influence of Zeal or craving
recognition. It is impossible for them to reintegrate. They’d for Zeal. Either way, it’s going to end badly. Not just for
be a lot happier and we would be safer if we just left them them, but pretty much anyone who crosses their path.
fighting…Although, we make stupid money off them on the This is why you almost never have soldiers returning from
telly and being honest it’s not like they are gonna ramage in places like Dante and Cross reintegrating back into Mort
Uptown, are they?” City. Why they never just retire, or become bus drivers or
Phil Cosgrove, Threat Analyst. street sweepers. They all come back with brains riddled with
a fuck-ton of Zeal.
Once they don the unsanctioned Battlesuit once more and And what do we learn from this alarming discovery? Well,
opt to seek out the subversives in Downtown, the soldiers we now have a horde of dumb Frothers desperately try to get
finally experience relief. They have a purpose once more and their paws on a few choice doses of Zeal.
voices of support and phantom military orders flood their
See, they all watch a few episodes of Showdown and think,
broken minds. They leave their shabby, low rent apartments
‘yeah, I fancy a piece of that action.’
for the last time and are in full battle mode; they are searching
for war, for glory, for Zeal. Sigh…
And people ask me why I think Operatives are fucking
“This is deliberate, malicious. The enemy is here and there stupid.”
and everywhere. A fifth column, manipulating the system to BPN Officer Grobbelaar, BPN Hall, Head Office.
get us. We’re needed in the zone!”
Excerpt found in the diary of Marsden Zeal has never been made available for purchase outside of
Green, Ex-War Criminal. military issue on the War Worlds. This all changed, however,
as ShowDown grew in popularity and SLA began dumping
crates of the drug throughout CS3.
131
Zeal is one of the most coveted ‘drops’ in the Cannibal Over time the Thrasher has gained a reputation as “the
Sector; easily as valuable to the drug withdrawn Ex-War gun they tried to kill.” Banned even in CS1 and universally
Criminal as any military grade ammunition. As a result, Zeal cannibalised for parts, it is only a matter of time before the
is still extremely difficult to get hold of, even on the black Thrasher is consigned to a particularly bloody page in the
market. history books.
It can only be sourced by journeying into CS3 and being Ironically, this reputation has helped keep it alive. Ex-War
fortunate enough to stumble across a crate that hasn’t been Criminals, active SLA soldiers and insurgent guerrillas alike
acquired by an Ex-War Criminal squad yet and no Mort love its compact frame and impressive rate of fire.
based black marketeer currently feels brave or desperate
enough to take that level of risk. WW09 Thrasher Cannon Cost: 100,000u
Skill: Pistol/Rifle
Zeal Cost per Dose: N/A
EFFECT: +2 STR, +1 DEX, +3
COOL (6 hour duration) 2d10+4 7 5 2
ADDICTION ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost

10 Every dose
RATING: 3/10 3/3 300m 30 6000u
ADDICTION The Thrasher Cannon can only fire rare and exceptionally
Every 12 hours
DOSE: expensive HESH ammunition. Alternative ammo
DETOX EFFECT: -1 DEX, -1 COOL, 1 Rank in types may not be used in this weapon. Characters in
Anger and Psychosis: Delusions. Powered Armour or with a Strength greater than 4 can
wield the Thrasher one handed using the Pistols skill.
Note: When administered by the Chemical Should they opt to do this, Recoil increases to 3/5.
Augmentation System of a Battlesuit, the body’s system
can be monitored so that Zeal can be microdosed to FEN 24 Warmonger
extend the effect duration to 12 hours. This, however, Whilst the Thrasher Cannon is beloved, the Warmonger
increases the Addiction Rating to 13. is merely accepted. For many Ex-War Criminals the FEN
24 is the rifle that they’ve grown up with. Now standard
EX-WAR CRIMINAL WEAPONS issue on all War Worlds, it was manufactured to cope with
the most hostile environments while still bringing to bear a
AND EQUIPMENT devastating amount of firepower. The extra heft of the gun
makes it a far better bludgeon and controls recoil to the
WW09 Thrasher point they can actually hit targets.
While the Thrasher hasn’t been manufactured since The extended clip means that they can engage opposition
903sd it remains a trusted battle weapon used on countless for longer and the additional grenade launcher has proven a
War Worlds with locally sourced parts keeping these popular attachment.
intergenerational weapons functioning where modern arms
would simply give up.
While they were originally energy weapons, such variants,
from before 185sd, haven’t been seen in decades. Responsible
for the transition to solid ammunition types, few can argue
that the 12.7 mm Thrasher still keeps pace with even the
most modern munitions.
FEN 24 Warmonger Cost: 80,000u
Skill: Rifle
2d10+1 7 4 3
132
SCARY MONSTERS
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost WidowMaker

3 1 250m 40 5000u The WidowMaker BattleSuit is a relatively new model
The Warmonger uses specialist 11.35mm HESH manufactured by Power Projects. It is a lot more advanced
ammunition. Alternative ammo types may not be used than the Sinner Mk III which is gradually being phased out
in this weapon. The Warmonger also has a secondary by the SLA Military.
fire mode; an Integral 40mm Grenade Launcher. The BattleSuit uses PP100 Crackshot as its base and has
been greatly upgraded to face the ever more challenging
Warmonger Grenade Launcher threats faced on the War Worlds. Enormous funding has
Skill: Support Weapons Blast been allotted into the mass production of WidowMaker
DMG Min DMG AD Radius for use by the SLA Military, leading some to speculate the
SLA’s forces may be struggling to force back the encroaching
1d10+3 5 3 4/8m Conflict Aliens that have reemerged in the World of Progress
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost during The Changes.
1 0 40m 1 100u There are also rumours that the Thresher’s originators
have returned, bringing with them more advanced forms
of powered armour and equipment, with the WidowMaker
BATTLESUITS
becoming the standard in order to meet the increased
As with all equipment issued to SLA Military, the challenge.
trademark BattleSuit is not available to standard Operatives.
The closest equivalent is Dogeybone, which is considered a Widowmaker BattleSuit Cost: NFS
‘light model’ when compared to military suits. STR DEX COOL INIT
BattleSuits are not suits of armour, despite their outward 6 5 +2 CONC+9
appearance. BattleSuits are bipedal battle robots that use PV Resistance Hit Points Movement
their pilots to act as guidance systems. Arguably the pilots
could be replaced with artificial systems but the reality is that 14 40 120 7
using an expendable sentient is much, much cheaper. Integrated Equipment: Chaff Launcher,
FEN 270671B Scout Helmet Interface, Dual
Battlesuit Rules Vibroclaws, Signal Jammer, BOOPA Hypofist.
Common Options: WW09 Thrasher Cannon,
BattleSuits replace the pilots STR and DEX while Integrated FEN 904 Reaver Cannon.
being piloted. No skill is needed to pilot a bipedal
BattleSuit, it’s programmed to interpret and respond to The Widow maker is designed with additional rapid
the synaptic activity of the pilot, all other technologies in repose motion systems so that they can engage
the BattleSuit, whether weapons or tools are governed small targets in melee without penalty. In addition
by the pilots skills as normal. to this all firearms reduce their Recoil by 2.
BattleSuits have combat drugs dispensers built into
their basic structure and it is common for the presence
of these automated systems to provide a placebo effect
that manifests as a temporary bonus to COOL while
piloting the suit.
BattleSuits are massive, standing over 2.5 metres in
height. The GM is advised to penalise interactions with
smaller objects. It is common for BattleSuits to suffer
a -2 penalty when fighting in melee combat against
creatures smaller than a Stormer and a -5 penalty
when trying to do things as delicate as picking a lock.
By default, all suits are fully waterproof and shielded
from Biological, Chemical and Radiological threats.
BattleSuits can make use of Mechanised Punches (see
Powersuit rules on page 74), though they seldom need
to resort to such crude attacks
133
WIDOWMAKER VIBROCLAWS Cost: NFS Executioner

SKILL: Unarmed The Executioner model is one of the largest (and to the
enemies of SLA Industries), the most terrifying BattleSuits
to ever grace the War Worlds. An ancient, simplified
1d10+6 8 4 N/A version of the armour (originally titled the BeHeader) was
When wielded alongside another melee weapon, constructed during the Conflict Era and sold as a destroyer
including another vibroclaw, Vibroclaws add +1 DMG of Grosh Herd beasts. Designed as a close assault BattleSuit
and +2 AD to that weapon. Vibroclaws are capable of the Beheader would wade into the shrieking monstrosities
remarkable finesse and the blades of each hand can be hacking them apart with its HeadMan Chainsaw and
extended out for varying uses including field surgery, incinerating the oncoming Conflict hordes.
electrical repairs and opening locks. Using the vibroclaws Once SLA Industries entered into the Formation Era the
instead of a regular kit is subject to a - 2 penalty Beheader was gradually phased out as all threat of the Grosh
unless the wearer has 3 ranks in the skill being used. faded from the World of Progress. During The Changes,
Sinner MkIII however, as the Conflict species return to SLA owned space
the BattleSuit saw a resurgence.
The Sinner MK III is one of the oldest models of BattleSuit
An entirely new version of the BeHeader was reintroduced
still produced by SLA Industries today. To most Operatives
into the SLA Military, now called the Executioner, in honour
serving in Mort City the Sinner ‘Suit appears enormous,
of the Contract Killer - Eddy Executioner who served on
but it is comparatively small when put next to other more
War World Erebus and eventually came to don the actual
modern War World variants.
BattleSuit, presenting a spectacularly gory media spectacle
Though bulky and cumbersome, the Sinner Mk III is very for viewers back on Mort.
sturdy and reliable (and the primary reason the BattleSuit
is still being manufactured today) and is widely regarded as
Power Project‘s best work in the field of powered armour.
Up until the last 50 years or so, the Sinner Mk III was
the standard BattleSuit worn by the SLA Military, but into
The Era of Progress lighter more advanced Suits like the
WidowMaker became a more common sight on the War
Worlds.
Sinner MK III BattleSuit Cost: NFS
STR DEX COOL INIT

7 5 +1 CONC+7
14 40 100 6
Integrated Equipment: Chaff Launcher, FEN 270671B
Scout Helmet Interface, Super sized Gash fist, Signal
Jammer, BOOPA Hypofist , 500 rd Ammo Magazine
with retractable Magnetic Weapon connector.
Common Options: WW09 Thrasher
Cannon or FEN 24 Warmonger.
SUPER SIZED GASH FIST Cost: NFS

1d10+8 9 2 N/A
Creatures of STR 6 and lower are
knocked down when hit.
134
SCARY MONSTERS
Executioner BattleSuit Cost: NFS Miscreant

STR DEX COOL INIT The Miscreant BattleSuit has often and accurately, been
10 4 +2 CONC+7 described as the ‘SniperSuit’ as the model was designed with
stealth and assassination missions as primary. Despite its
PV Resistance Hit Points Movement size and bulk the Miscreant can be surprisingly nimble and
18 100 400 4 noiseless and with the relatively new ‘Detritus Hairs’ feature
Integrated Equipment: BOOPA Hypofist, inbuilt, the wearer can blend with the surrounding masonry,
Integral Klippo K3 Brimstone, Integral rubble or vegetation with very little chance of detection.
Gash ‘Headman’ Chainsaw. Rival company regiments on the War Worlds greatly fear
Common Options: None. Miscreant Suits as they can conceal themselves for long
periods, unseen, silently waiting for the choice moment
Cumbersome. When making Skill Tests using the
to obliterate a target with a round from their FEN 550
Executioners STR attribute it counts as a 6.
LongBow.
Collateral Damage. Even when an Executioner misses,
something gets broken. All attempts at movement in Miscreant BattleSuit Cost: NFS
or around places it has attacked will require a Complex STR DEX COOL INIT
Athletics or Drive Skill Test to avoid falling prone or 6 5 +1 CONC+5
crashing. Battlesuits gain a +3 bonus to this Skill Test.
KLIPPO K3 BRIMSTONE Cost: NFS
14 40 100 6
Skill: Support Weapons Integrated Equipment: BOOPA Hypofist, FEN
DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT 270671B Scout Helmet Interface, FEN ECM Cape,
2d10 8 3 N/A Telescopic Sight, Motion Detector, Detritus Hairs.
Common Options: FEN 550 Longbow,
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost Telescopic Sight, Motion Detector.
1 0 50m 200 2000u
FEN 550 Longbow Sniper Cannon Cost: NFS
The K3 emits a 5 meter wide stream of flame. Anyone in
that space is targeted by the K3, though targets after the Skill: Rifle
first suffer a -1 to hit on the K3’s attack roll. Characters DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
hit by the K3 will suffer the Burning condition and if 3d10 12 5 6
within 2m of the Executioner will have to roll 1d10+STR
with rolls under 7 indicating that they are knocked down. ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost
GASH ‘ HEADMAN’ CHAINSAW Cost: NFS

1 0 2000m 3 N/A

2d10+6 10 5 N/A
When used on a moving target the Headman
suffers a -2 penalty. If the target is smaller than a
Battlesuit, the Headman suffers a -5 penalty to hit.
135
The Longbow fires a special Ion pulse assisted primarily as a heavy support unit in the SLA Military
HESH round and cannot accept alternative battalions and act as a destroyer of Thresher armours (hence
ammunition types. Targets further than 50m away the name). Owing to its size the user doesn’t so much wear a
will take an additional +1d10 damage and targets Battlesuit but rather pilots a tank.
over 1000m away will take +2d10 damage. The pilot sits inside the main torso pod and operates the
suit via helmet mounted wrap-around HUD and guides
Detritus Hairs: The Miscreant suit is covered with small with hand and foot actuators.
artificial hairs that stick to their surroundings. This allows Much like the Civilians who spend their entire lives in the
the suit to climb with considerable ease and to customise subterranean hive of Downtown, Shark Eater pilots gradually
its exterior with local flora, dirt and objects. This makes develop Agoraphobia over time, owing to spending so much
spotting it much harder and grants a +2 bonus to Stealth of their lives inside the cramped torso pod. When PTSD
tests so long as the suit moves at Movement 2 or less. The and combat drug psychosis are added into the mix, pilots
hairs are capable of pulling the suit along the ground at forgo leaving the safety of their Shark Eater pods altogether.
movement 1 meaning that the suit does not have to stand
up or crawl to move across horizontal surfaces. This allows This can result in the pilot and suit becoming one singular
the pilot to aim at a target and take corrective movement entity, with the Shark Eater seeming to take on a life of its
without losing their focus. own and the pilot now little more than the brain operating
the body, transferring their personality into the gears and
Shark Eater machinery.
They are silent, monstrous psychotics stalking the ruins,
“ Ya ya, I kill you now. You dead shark to me now. Ya ya.
little more than wandering monsters with no allegiance to
Tickety tock! You on my clock!”
anyone.
Klaus Korpse, Ex-war Criminal, Cannibal Sector 3
There is only one notorious Shark Killer suit hunting in
Newtown - Klaus Korpse.
The Shark Eater Battlesuit is one of the larger, more unique
models to grace the War Worlds. It is designed to operate
136
SCARY MONSTERS
Klaus has no retinue in Sector 3, as he’ll invariably gun District presents newer, darker horrors and only around sixty
down anyone or anything that crosses his path without a percent of the Fanatics ever make it to their idols.
moment’s hesitation. Klaus sticks to the heart of Newtown Studies conducted by Threat Analysis consider this ratio
since his signature weapon - a FEN 999 Heavy Autocannon to be optimistic and something of a victory for Fanatics,
is programmed to ‘lock up’ whenever he is within firing range considering the sheer number of Shivers and Operatives that
of the Sector Wall, although he may venture towards Mort have died just trying to survive the lower levels.
City’s perimeter in search of an accessible ammo dump. In order to reach the open air of CS3 the Fanatic has to
Klaus Korpse is one of the more colourful characters in have at least some skills and physical prowess to survive the
Showdown and has garnered a reputation as the ‘Digger of journey. Among all the eager civilians are Ex-DN Agents,
Sector 3’. Soft Company runaways and Props who cave into stresses
and psychosis. These tend to be the survivor types who make
Shark Eater BattleSuit Cost: NFS it to Newtown and generally have more to offer the Ex-War
STR DEX COOL INIT Criminal than the simple fanboys.
8 3 +2 CONC+3 ECW Fanatic
PV Resistance Hit Points Movement STR DEX KNOW CONC
16 70 200 20 3 3 2 3
Integrated Equipment: BOOPA Hypofist,
FEN 999 Heavy Autocannon.
1 4 0 +3
Common Options: None.
Movement is halved to 10 when moving through water.
18 2 5
FEN 999 Heavy Autocannon Cost: NFS

3d10-3 9 5 N/A
1/3/10 0/0/-1 500m 500 N/A

The FEN 999 is a custom weapon designed specifically
for the Shark Killer. Based on the 989 Stormer Cannon
and its HESH ammunition, it has been reinforced for
automatic fire with a longer barrel for extended range.
When underwater It can only fire in single shot mode.
EWC Fanatic
“ You’d be forgiven for mistaking an EWC Fanatic with
any other nutjob on Mort. They’re a lot like kill-hungry
Serial Killers and much of their devotion to a cause aligns
with DarkNight Agents in the Sector. They’re tooled up like
Downtown Props with the meatiest weaponry they can get
their grubby mits on.
What you end up with is a deadly combination of all three.
That’s an EWC Fanatic - driven, heavily armed and dumb
as fuck.
It’s a good job that all they wanna do is get out to Sector 3
and join the war. If they fancied sticking around Downtown
we’d be in trouble.”
Karla Glazer, Threat Analysis Research.
Many Fanatics have to travel from Inner Downtown

through lower hostile Districts, out into Newtown via gaps
in the Sector Wall. This is quite a struggle as each descending
137
Skills media renamed the BattleSuit - ‘Rebel Roar’ and although

this was never sanctioned by DarkNight Command, the
Demolitions: 1 Detect: 2 name has stuck.
Intimidate: 1 Melee Weapons: 2 Rebel Roar’s popularity likely arose due to its unique visual
Pistol: 2 Rifle: 2 appearance - the head sunk low in the boxy torso and its
Stealth: 2 Streetwise: 1 long digitigrade legs stand out from other more conventional
BattleSuits.
Support Weapons: 2 Survival: 2
The arrival of Rebel Roars in Sector 3 naturally sent the
Throw: 2 Unarmed Combat: 2 typically delusional mindset of Ex-War Criminals’ brains
Equipment into overdrive. Their age old enemy from Dante had finally
invaded Mort and their wondrous conflict was gearing up
AGB/Core P82 Cloudfall Pistol with 2 HE again.
Clips, 2x DA 90 Fragmentation Grenades, FEN
AR Assault Rifle with 4 HE Clips, MAC Knife, Of course, the pilots of the Rebel Roar suits were every
PP Hard Armour (PV6, Resistance 20). bit as disturbed as their opponents and it wouldn’t be long
before the broken streets of Newtown were a brutal warzone.
Note: The Above is to represent Fanatics in the first 30 Legendary DN War Criminals like Honest Guy,
days of their activity. More experienced Fanatics will seek HeadStover and Mother Moon had landed in the ruins
out the weapons of a real Ex-War Criminal wherever and Terror Cells from Freedom Family and the Steadman
possible. Krenek Collective flocked to support these walking tanks.
Rebel Roar
Rebel Roar BattleSuit Cost: NFS
Originally known as the DN678 ‘Outrunner’ BattleSuit STR DEX COOL INIT
and was built to perform sentry patrols around DarkNight
command bases and military compounds. It is one of 7 5 +1 CONC+7
DarkNight’s older models, but has proven popular as they PV Resistance Hit Points Movement
began appearing in Newtown. It was at this point that the 14 35 90 8
Integrated Equipment: Chaff Launcher, DN HUD,
Mutilator Fist, Signal Jammer, 8 Dose Auto-Injector.
Common Options: DN790 Multirole Attack Shotgun.
Note: The DN HUD is essentially the same as
a FEN 270671B Scout Helmet Interface.
DN790 Multirole Attack Shotgun
The DN790 is an oversized pump-action shotgun. Only
the front half of the weapon is in fact the weapon with
the remainder acting as a large magazine of twenty
oversized shells. Each of which is a lethal mix of buckshot,
surrounding three central incendiaries. Every pull of
the trigger is said to be akin to a landmine going off.
DN790 Multirole Attack Shotgun Cost: N/A
Skill: Rifle/Support
2d10-3 6 4 5
1 1 30m 20 4500u
The DN790 utilises unique ammo, alternative ammo
types may not be used in this weapon. On an Excellent
Success it inflicts the Burning condition on its target.
138
SCARY MONSTERS
Species Specific Ability: Pack Mentality

CARRIEN
Carrien work as a pack, hunt as a pack and eat as a pack. As
long as Carrien number six or more, they are considered
BIO CLASSIFICATION to be entirely immune to the effects of Fear and each add
Carrien +1 to their Initiative Bonus. All Carrien including; Alpha
Carrien, Greater Carrien and Mutant Carrien gain this
The once proud Jethian race are as much removed from ability.
their heyday as it is possible to be. Carrien transformed
into little more than slavering scavengers throughout the Carrien
centuries and are a far cry from their more advanced cousins STR DEX KNOW CONC
found in SLA’s employ.
3 3 1 1
Devolved into an animalistic state, these feral monstrosities
stalk the wastes, eating anything they can sink their fangs CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
into. The Carrien consider all of Mort their territory and 0 4 0 +4
anything outside their rigid conclave structure is considered Hit Points Closing Rushing
a threat or prey. It is only a question of whether they tackle
14 4 7
their opposition instantly, or whether they wait for more of
their numbers to arrive in order to swamp it. Skills
Carrien are most commonly found in the Cannibal Athletics: 3 Climbing: 2
Sectors, though they present just as deadly an opponent
in the complex sewer system of Downtown. Carrien clad Detect: 2 Language (Gristle): 2
themselves in Scrap Armour peeled off their innumerous Melee Weapons: 3 Polearm: 2
victims and wield their hockey sticks with frightening Stealth: 2 Survival: 2
deftness.
Sector based Carrien are considerably tougher than those
found in Mort City and their conclaves are much, much Equipment
larger than those that inhabit Downtown. Teeth/Claws, Mix of generic Unpowered
Carrien are highly aggressive, but they’re not limited to the Weapons, Hockey Sticks or Hockey Axes.
intelligence of basic fauna. They can comprehend and evaluate
opponent strength and number and consider whether or
not to attack. Whilst they cannot operate firearms, they
recognize the threat and that stinging black objects emitted
from the front end hurt or even kill. They are brave in battle,
but will often withdraw in the face of overwhelming force
only to leave vicious traps for their pursuers.
Xenobiologists have noted over the last decade that
the Carrien are becoming more bestial. There is a greater
preponderance of mutants amongst their numbers. Even
those who could not fairly be called mutants are growing
more stooped, with more angular skulls and greater muscle
mass. While this could be simple evolution at work there is
some concern that another force may be in play.
139
Alpha Carrien Skills

Mutation has gradually become commonplace among Athletics: 3 Climbing: 2
Carrien litters. One particular pup starts out as the runt, but Detect: 2 Language (Gristle): 3
soon outpaces its siblings in growth and development and is
destined to govern his kin. Leadership: 3 Lore (Sector): 1
An Alpha Carrien stands a good head and shoulders Melee Weapons: 3 Pistols: 1
above their packmates and is marked by the thorn-like bony Polearm: 4 Rifles: 1
growths emanating from their skinless skulls. Stealth: 2 Survival: 3
When an Alpha is born, the mother will usually steal Tactics: 2 Tracking: 3
them away from the litter. Should a Greater Carrien find
Unarmed Combat: 3
the Alpha pup, it will not only kill the infant Alpha, but
also slaughter the brood and the mother. Greater Carrien Equipment
struggle to govern Alphas in their conclaves; they are too big,
Teeth/Claws, Carrien Hockey Stick or Hockey Axe,
too cunning and if anything will undermine the dominance
Medium Scrap Armour (PV 3, Resistance 14).
of its rule, it’s the most advanced version of the lesser species.
The rise in Alphas however means that most Greater Better Armed: Occasionally Alphas have access to
Carrien will begrudgingly accommodate the stronger strain. firearms or melee weapons taken from Operatives or
Whilst a Greater Carrien can crush an Alpha in contests Shivers. Gaining such a weapon is often the prelude to an
of brute strength, the Alpha is clever, malicious and above attempt at taking over the tribe.
all does not fight fair. More than one tribe lead by a less Greater Carrien
aware Greater has been usurped by an Alpha and slain by its
underling and its broken antlers adoring the entrance of its Greater Carrien are true monsters of the Sector ruins: ill
former abode, a warning to any challengers. tempered and sadistic, they rule over their smaller kin as
absolute despots, bullying their conclave, feasting on the
Alpha Carrien choicest flesh and assuming the spoils of any skirmish. Their
STR DEX KNOW CONC reigns are bloody and their ends, equally so, but few Greater
Carrien die easily and many live for an indeterminately long
5 4 2 2
time. Threat Analysis suggests that they may indeed live
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative for centuries and that such ancient Greaters are among the
0 5 0 +6 deadliest occupants of the Cannibal Sectors.
Hit Points Closing Rushing Greater Carrien have a loathesome predilection for torture
and are known to hold their victims for days, even weeks
18 2 5
if they can endure the unspeakable debasement before
adorning their antlers with the bloodied shreds of their
victims.
While Greater Carrien seem to be of the Carrien race, they
are recognised as a mutated offshoot to the Carrien with
a distinct anatomy subject to multiple variations. The only
constant is their massive size and their antlers, with Greater
Carrien standing almost twice the height of a regular Carrien
and filling out their frame with hard muscle and toughened
skin. Each has a skull adorned with sharp antlers that are
phenomenally strong and as unique as a fingerprint. Beyond
this, any features are highly variable: they might have skin
covered in hard thorns and knots, their skulls might be more
long and lean or lumpen and compact. Some have grown
hooves and digitigrade legs or developed feet more similar
to that of a regular humanoid.
What remains unknown is where exactly these
monstrosities came from. Early bas-reliefs of the Jethians
show no indications of antler headed beings, nor were any
sighted prior to 103sd. While it is possible that this is simply
a stable mutation that has evolved, as yet no Greater pups
140
SCARY MONSTERS
have been reported and the closest mutation to them is that Equipment
of the very dissimilar Alpha Carrien.
Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 6, Resistance 24),
Threat Analysis has become increasingly concerned
Mauler Axe, Ripper Gauntlet, Teeth, Claws,
that these creatures may have some correlation to Dream
Horns, Thick Hide (PV 1, Resistance 6).
Entities or the Rawhead phenomena. Competing ‘Dream
theories’ roughly follow one of two general lines, though Brutal: All Melee attacks gain +2 DMG +1 AD.
some do attempt to combine them. There is the controversial Immune to Fear effects.
suggestion Greater Carrien are a manifestation of Mort
citizens subconscious fear of the Carrien as a primordial Regeneration Rate 2.
other, or perhaps worse, the Greater Carrien are the
vengeance fantasies of the Carrien made flesh.
Greater Carrien
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 4 2 2
0 6 0 +6
30 4 7
Skills
Detect: 2 Language (Gristle): 3
Leadership: 3 Lore (Sector): 1
Melee Weapons: 4 Polearm: 4
Torture: 2 Throw: 3
141
Mutant Carrien The rage of a Mutant Carrien is akin to a force of nature.

They are born screaming with the same strength as an adult
Just as humans are prone to the mutagens of the Cannibal Carrien. When they catch a victim, including potentially
Sectors, so too are the Carrien. When the vagaries of family members, they will obliterate them.
pollution, disease and inbreeding mix with KZ-14 traces
Occasionally this butchery quietens the rage, but all too
in the food chain, what should be small genetic variances
frequently it does not. Sometimes the Mutant Carrien’s
become gross distortions of the Carrien form.
frenzy lasts for days and it is only when the conclave can lead
Early on, Threat Analysis tried to classify the Mutants, the Mutant into a suitably large pit, or the Greater Carrien
with species recognised based on similar characteristics or deigns to intervene, that they can be spared its wrath.
behaviour. It was not too long before it became apparent
When not at war, the Greater Carrien will have the conclave
that these new ‘Mutant species’ were nothing more than a
construct massive spiked pits close to its throne, for newborn
collection of attributes that appeared slightly more frequently
mutants to live in. There they are fed and allowed to exercise
together than random. This a species does not make.
their worst impulses as executioner beasts. While the Greater
Why the Carrien are affected more than any other species Carrien is a master of torture, it seems that sometimes it
is still a matter of conjecture, but mutants are so common simply feels lazy or in a voyeristic mood. In these moments,
that most minor mutations are just accepted as normal in the Greater Carrien will throw the captive Mutant a Carrien
the general population. When a Carrien is identified as a as a play-thing and watch it vent its unrelenting frustration
Mutant Carrien, its abnormalities are wide ranging and have upon its short lived victim.
led to the Carrien experiencing life in a very different way
In battle Mutant Carrien are a combination of berserker
than its kin.
and living siege engine. They are literally unleashed upon the
Mutant Carrien spend their lives in agony and rage. enemy as a brutal opening salvo. Their presence inspires the
Their bodies are bent in ways that force the weight of their accompanying Carrien to fight well. If not, they could very
overgrown limbs to pull on fragile nerves. Muscle growth easily find themselves being thrown to the slavering Mutant
is disproportionate with painful spasms and convulsive fits Carrien themselves.
dotting the creature’s painful existence. Whatever sentience
these poor brutes were capable of is broken in unknowable Mutant Carrien
ways.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 5 0 0
0 7 0 +5
36 3 6
Skills
Detect: 1 Melee Weapons: 3
Unarmed Combat: 4
Equipment
Teeth/Claws, Thick Hide (PV: 3, Resistance: 10).
Berserker: The mutant must attack the closest creature to

it. As an Auxiliary action it can take a Simple Detect Skill
Test to attack the nearest Non-Carrien creature instead.
Brutal: All Melee attacks gain +2 DMG +1 AD.
Unyielding: These psychotic, lunatic creatures have little
to no consciousness. This renders them entirely immune
to the effects of Fear and Pain. They ignore all effects and
modifiers from any wounds they have sustained and will
usually fight to the death.
Regeneration Rate of 2.
142
SCARY MONSTERS
CARRIEN WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT Mauler Axe

Used by Carrien that are too large or too unstable to use a
Hockey Stick
Hockey Stick, the Mauler Axe is a simple pole of wood or
Since Cannibal Sector One started to become a well steel with a triangular blade fixed to the top. The axe head
televised locale, the Hockey Stick has gone from a niche itself can be angled in all manner of ways though this change
product to one that is rapidly becoming a fashionable seems to be less about function and more about the particular
product for Downtown martial artists both amateur and maker’s preference. An exercise in excess, these axes are often
professional. A common misconception is that they were dotted with haft spikes, unnecessary serrations, bulbous
developed by one “John Hockey” based on the polearms used studs and dubious attempts to tie knives to the handle.
by the Carrien as a tool to teach self defence and improve While some of these axes are true masterpieces of invention,
hand-eye coordination. This is not even close to accurate. just as many are hopeful improvisations cobbled together
This is an ancient weapon from a time before SLA from anything left at the end of a battle.
industries, with its origins predating the Carrien and its uses
shown on all manner of early Jethian steles. Mauler Axe Cost: N/A
The classic Carrien Hockey Stick is a wooden pole, bent SKILL: Melee Weapons
at the end into a long flat blade like-paddle. While not DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
usually sharpened it is still capable of being wielded like an
axe and capable of breaking bones on impact. Swung in low 1d10 4 3 1
sweeping arcs, Hockey Sticks are ideally suited to tripping Mauler Axes are often made for Mutant Carrien.
an opponent and a common strategy for Carrien is for one These massive blades gain +3 DMG and +1 Wt.
Carrien to trip an enemy so that others can pile in and bring Ripper Gauntlet
their sticks down on the fallen enemies head.
Occasionally, a Carrien will bolt sharpened pieces of metal “We laughed when we saw them. It’s a Gash Fist right.
to their sticks, these Hockey Axes are used in much the same Just made by some daft Carrien that thinks all it needs to do
way as the sticks, trading general utility for a more wicked is add more spikes. Yeah, I don’t laugh anymore. When we
edge. ran out of ammo… Well, We’s me now.”
As this weapon grows in popularity outside the Cannibal Shiver Sgt. Boskins, BridgeHead Noddy.
Sectors, plastic and metal versions are becoming more
and more common. Soft companies have already started Ripper Gauntlets are excellent standby weapons and more
manufacturing sticks with pre-sharpened edges for sale in than a few Carrien wear one on their off hand. With edges
self defence stores and it has been noted that prominent and spikes in abundance, the wearer can occasionally cut
market researchers have begun looking to see if a Vibro themselves wearing one, but few seem to mind.
or Chain Hockey stick would find enough of a market to The Gauntlet is made up of plates of Scrap Armour, with
warrant a limited edition run. two well fitted, sturdy blades protruding from above the wrist
section. Along the top side of the forearm are additional
Hockey Stick Cost: N/A
spikes and rusty screws nailed into the plates.
SKILL: Polearm This preponderance of edges makes for a lethal threat even
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT in the most congested of brawls.
1d10-3 2 0 1
Mauler Axe Cost: N/A
Any attack that causes a wound will also cause the target
SKILL: Unarmed Combat
to be knocked down, inflicting the prone condition.
Hockey Axe Cost: N/A
1d10-1 3 1 1
SKILL: Polearm
When worn as a pair the damage becomes 1d10+2,
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT when used in concert with another Melee weapon
1d10-1 2 1 3 DMG increases by +1 for both weapons.
Any attack that causes a wound will also cause the target
to be knocked down, inflicting the prone condition
143
banishment. When banished the Runt is expected to find

CANNIBALS the next Clan meal. Not an easy task, to say the least. All
too often they become fodder for Carrien, Carnivorous
BIO CLASSIFICATION Pigs or Sector Mongrels and even if they succeed in the
task, treachery awaits. If they cannot get their prize to the
Cannibal Runt Matriarch before another catches them, they will lose their
Perhaps the most horrible thing about the creatures called prize and need to go out again.
Runts is how normal they can seem, to a Downtown Civilian Perhaps the most distressing thing about the Runts is how
anyway. These are not, as their title suggests, withered human they are in the face of this abuse. You would hope
weaklings, but people of regular stature and strength. In any that they would turn from the Clan, but despite the way they
other society they would have been the absolute average, are treated, they love their Matriarch and live in hope of a
acknowledged for their capabilities and derided for their kind word from her. They hope, through successful hunts,
ugliness. Sadly, in the Cannibal Clans they are miniscule that they can grow big and strong. Strong enough to grow
compared to the likes of the Butchers & Termagants that worthy of her love. But there is no love to be had. No matter
loom over them. Their place in the pecking order is set low how strong they become, how many children they birth or
and they are dead last. sire, they will always be worth little in her eyes.
Without the advantage of brawn, to survive and to get their
fair share of meat they must be cunning, inventive, quick and The Hunger: All Cannibals have a compulsion to feed
above all, aggressive. Failure in Clan society has potentially on meat, either raw or cooked and are required to do so
fatal consequences. The smallest disobedience will get you a a minimum of twice daily to maintain what little sanity
beating, let the fire go out and you meet your end. Runts are they have. For every 3 hours that a regular feeding time is
not afforded individual shares of the hunt like the Butchers. missed, a cannibal receives -1 to their CONC and pushes
What little is left for them; gristle, cartilage and bone, must them ever closer towards a psycopathing fit. As time
be fought for, albeit quietly. Any noise made during a meal progresses they will find themselves unable to restrain
will cause their biggers and so betters, to take offence and their thirst for violence, eventually resulting in in-fighting
and eating their own kin. Eating raw meat returns the
Cannibal to a stable mood and their CONC back to
normal.
Cannibal Runt
STR DEX KNOW CONC
2 2 1 1
0 2 0 +3
10 2 5
Skills
Animal Husbandry: 1 Detect: 1
Language (Biya): 2 Lore (Sector): 1
Melee Weapons: 1 Pistol: 1
Survival: 2 Throw: 1
Unarmed Combat: 2
Equipment
Light Scrap Armour (PV 1, Resistance 8)
Slingshot, Knife, 2 throwing knives.
144
SCARY MONSTERS
Runt Bully Carrien. He studies the combat skills of his Butcher brothers
well and adapts the gained knowledge into his own means
“ You’ve heard the phrase ‘cream of the crop’ right? Not sure of both attack and defence. He has survived many battles
where it comes from, but you know what it means, right? within his Clan and with the other Clans around them. He
Well, the Bullies are the ‘cream of the crud’. Take the worst has all the hideous scars to prove it.
end of the Clan and identify the best from it. Yer, I know It could be claimed that the Runt Bully is a marvel of
there doesn’t seem much point, but it’s worth noting they will the Sector, having truly beaten the odds and risen, if only
be brighter than the rest and better fed as a result. Keep it in slightly, up the ranks, but the feat and honorary position are
mind when you’re dealing with them. They are still stupid, barely acknowledged by the family.
but I’d hate for you to die to one, it would be embarassing
for me.” Runt Bully
Shiver Sgt. Betty ‘Cyclone’ Pope, Squad ‘Pope’s Hopes’. STR DEX KNOW CONC
2 2 2 1
Runts are the bottom rung on the Cannibal tribe ladder of
power, but that does not mean that they are not looking up. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Runts have leaders amongst themselves, ones who keep the 2 2 0 +3
rabble in line and oversee their daily tasks. The Runt Bully, Hit Points Closing Rushing
as his name suggests, revels in his dubious and somewhat
13 2 5
tenuous position and will harrang, demean and in extreme
cases, physically abuse his lessers, indulging in his most Skills
sadistic tendencies, once his Matriarch’s back is turned. The
Animal Husbandry: 1 Detect: 1
Bully is a lot stronger and a little smarter than the average
Runt. Language (Biya): 2 Lore (Sector): 1
Most Runts do not reach the age of thirty, dying long Melee Weapons: 2 Pistol: 1
before then from either some nasty disease, Carrien attack Survival: 2 Throw: 2
or gunned down by a BridgeHead Shiver. The Bully however,
endures and flourishes, even in a place as hazardous as the
Cannibal Sector. He has gone on countless hunts for his Unarmed Combat: 2
mother, capturing the likes of Carnivorous Pigs, Shivers and
Equipment
Medium Scrap Armour (PV: 3, Resistance: 14) Sawn
off Shotgun, Punch dagger, 2 throwing knives.
Cannibal Termagant
Whilst male Cannibals are either exclusively a Butcher or
a Runt, the females have one of three specific roles. First
there are the Runts. Weakness is found in either gender and
treated in much the same way - poorly. Then there are those
assigned the role of Childbearer, allowed to mate for an
allotted time with preselected Butchers so that they might
raise another generation of the tribe in staggering numbers.
Finally, there are the most revered - Termagants.
Termagants are groomed for leadership and enact their
mother’s will, destined to decide amongst themselves who
will lead the Clan when the Matriarch dies.
Certain Termagants assume specific roles like assassins and
scout for the Clan, most will attend the Matriarch as guard
and advisor. In this role they have remarkable freedom to
speak their minds, travel where they will, kill who and what
they will and decide their own personal affairs.
Unlike any other Cannibal, Termagants can choose, not only
if they have a mate, but how many they have, whether they
will bear children and when they will do so.
Termagants are among the most ferocious of the Cannibals
and will often grow a few inches taller than a typical Butcher.
145
As they have the duty of maintaining the Clan, they spend Cannibal Mastiff
their days training to fight, scouting and problem-solving
for the Clan. Whether dealing with overly bullish Butchers, “The bastards take better care of their dogs more than they
the encroachments of Carrien or Shiver BridgeHead, these do their own Runts. They mourn them better too.”
vicious warriors will attend to each in a direct and brutal DarkNight Specialist Lawler, Freedom Family.
fashion.
The Cannibal Mastiff is what you get when you take the
Cannibal Termagant
hardest and hardiest Sector Mongrels, breed them again and
STR DEX KNOW CONC again and treat them with a reverence normally only reserved
4 4 2 3 for the trophy wives of Uptown. Mastiffs get the best cuts
of meat, more so even than the Matriarch. They are spoiled
and groomed, tattooed and adorned with the best blades and
1 5 0 +7 leather to hand. They are supplied with only filtered water.
Hit Points Closing Rushing Where Cannibals have learned to endure, their pets have
20 2 5 been granted abundance. More care gets shown to a single
pup than an entire generation of Cannibal Runts, because
Skills the Mastiff will fight loyally to its dying breath. It is also
Detect: 2 Intimidate: 3 stronger, meaner and faster than the very best Runt Bully.
Language (Biya): 3 Leadership: 2
Lore (Sector): 2 Melee Weapons: 4
Pistols: 2 Polearm 4
Rifle: 2 Survival: 3
Tactics: 3 Throw: 2
Unarmed Combat: 3
Equipment
Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 6, Resistance 24),
Grappler, Punch Dagger, Sawn-off Shotgun,
3 Throwing Daggers. Grease Grenade.
“We saw Cannibal politics up close in Bridgehead Boomer.

You could watch the Clans grooming their future leaders as
the Termagants vied for the attention and support of their
clans, proving themselves to their Matriarchs.
The lads and lassies on the Bridgehead walls took bets on
which ones wouldd be favoured, fighting over the lone pair of
binocs. They tell me that they reckon the one called something
like Bay, May or Maeve, they can’t hear very well and are
relying on lip reading, will come out on top. It’s almost like
they care.
They take this shit seriously.”
- Shiver Sgt. Glennie Days, Bridgehead Distant North.
146
SCARY MONSTERS
Cannibal Mastiffs are a breed apart from the scabby Cannibal Butcher
Sector Mongrels. They are purebred killing machines with
generations of savagery and loyalty which is alchemically “With yearly plagues, constant warfare and famine a
merged into a singular and readily repeatable creation. regular occurence, perhaps the Cannibal Butcher is actually
At the heel of their carer, even in the heaviest Scrap the true snarling face of humanity and something all
Armour, the Mastiff is utterly obedient, but when the signal humankind should be proud of ?”
is given, the warbeast is awoken and lunges to attack. Assime Bekattam, (Neophron),
Threat Analysis Archivist.
Cannibal Mastiff
STR DEX KNOW CONC Cannibal males are destined to be either Runt or Butcher.
3 3 1 1 The Butchers are the finest of the Matriarch’s sons, brutish
lumps of muscle with the finesse of a hand grenade.
They grow to approximately seven feet tall and have the
0 4 0 +4 strength and bulk to rival that of a Shaktar. Much like
Hit Points Closing Rushing Frothers and the rest of the Cannibal species, these creatures
16 3 7 were officially considered Human until very recently,
although now there is a growing argument to consider the
Skills Cannibals as a different species or subspecies of Human.
Athletics: 3 Detect: 2 Karma is, as such, very interested in interrogating their
Stealth: 1 Tracking: 2 genetic code for the next generation of biogenetic design.
The fact that this is the second recognised instance of
Unarmed Combat: 3 humanity thriving despite the odds, threatens to seriously
Equipment upend current evolutionary theory where the Human being
is the pinnacle of Human evolution.
Vicious Teeth 2, Thick Hide (PV: 1, Resistance: 6).
According to present understandings of human physiology,
Optional: Medium Scrap Armour (PV: 3, Resistance: 14). Cannibals should be puny, shrunken things with prion
blasted brains, but this is clearly not the case. Despite being
rife with all manner of dangerous diseases, the Cannibal
Butchers thrive. Existing in a hellscape where even the insect
life seeks to kill them, the water peels paint and chemical
weapons are used as seasoning, a fully grown Butcher is the
thesis of vitality. They have not only adapted, but thrived,
where scores of others have died.
The Butcher is the Sergeant Major of the Cannibal Tribes,
the individuals their subordinates listen to and those who
actually get things done. They do it not with brains or
charisma, but rather with brawn and cruelty. Whether it’s
cajourling their kin, caring for the Mastiffs or wrangling the
Pigs, Butchers use the same approach: strength, brute force
and intimidation.
147
Cannibal Abomination
“Imagine a walking baby that’s nine feet tall and has
been isolated from all emotion and education. That’s what
[ Jordy] is like. They say he is his mother’s favourite son, but
clearly that can’t be true and if it is she has an awful way of
showing it. I wonder what he would be like if he had been
cared for, loved, educated. Maybe we should get hold of the
next Abomination and treat it right. It could be useful for
the company, or if the genetics are stable, maybe it could be
incorporated into the successor of the 114 Stormer?”
Dr Francis Starker, Gene Splice, Karma.
In a world of Runts and Butchers, occasionally nature

throws a spanner in the works and the resulting infant cannot
easily be categorised as either. Upon seeing the newborn,
already displaying clear signs of distortion, the Matriarch is
forced to make a hard decision. Whether the child should be
discarded or given the chance to grow.
Cannibal Clans have differing ways of dealing with which
such progeny: some place it in the presence of a Killian
Brown Rat and will raise the child if it can destroy the
vermin, others leave it out in the rain for a night and will
Cannibal Butcher return the next morning to see if it has survived.
STR DEX KNOW CONC The mutant child that lives through such an ordeal is set
4 4 2 2 to become much greater and much worse than a Cannibal
Butcher. It is destined to become a monster, even within the
understanding of a Cannibal Clan; a nightmare to behold,
0 5 0 +6 an Abomination.
Hit Points Closing Rushing Matriarchs do not like to take such risks, but an asset to
20 2 5 the tribe should not be discarded. Special interest is taken
in the child and while they will never admit it to the ranks
Skills of Butcher, nor allow it to breed, yet they will treat it with
Detect: 2 Intimidate: 3 special care and dispensation. The Clan will throw several
pigs to the chained Abomination once a day, or even a live
Language (Biya): 3 Leadership: 1
Carrien if they have one to hand.
Lore (Sector): 2 Melee Weapons: 3
The Matriarch will feed her Abomination with ever
Rifle: 1 Survival: 3 increasingly dangerous foes to test its strength and
Tactics: 2 Torture: 2 capabilities. She will display a certain degree of affection,
Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3 mostly in order to forge a bond and permit the disturbed
individual to feel ‘part of the family’.
Equipment There are no illusions regarding the Abomination; it is
Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 6, Resistance 24), Grappler, dangerous and unpredictable.
Sawn-off Shotgun, 3 Throwing Daggers. The largest abomination catalogued remains Jordy of the
Some Butchers keep Carnivorous Pigs as pets. Bloody Bones Clan, who is easily 9 feet tall. This abnormal
Prize War Pigs are occasionally taken into battle growth is unkind to their features, extra mass means
in much the same way as a Cannibal Mastiff. the Cannibal deformities become more prominent and
outlandish. They are repugnant, even to their own kind and
Butcher Blood Poison: Butchers often coat their it is common for them to be forced into helmets or masks
weapons with their own diseased blood. This can expose that obscure their warped features.
their victims to all manner of infection. For simplicity the
The intellectual abilities of an Abomination receive scant
GM may choose to simply increase the damage of their
attention, they are emotionally infantile and unstable at the
Melee weapons by 1.
best of times and easily provoked into violence.
148
SCARY MONSTERS
Some Cannibal Clans simply do not rear Abominations; “See, I pity the Mutant Carrien. They’re in so much pain
the risk is too high. An Abomination is a deeply disturbed and they just want to die. I can see it in their eyes. They aren’t
individual and in any moment of panic, frustration or hunger much more than animals driven crazy by suffering.
driven excitement he may unwittingly lose himself in a orgy The Abominations are different. Yes, the Cannibals are
of rage and bloodshed. In that moment, the Abomination defined as their own species but there’s still a chunk of
cannot differentiate family from foe. humanity left in them. That Human capacity for hate, and
This outcome is especially true if they are treated as little viciousness and enjoying torture. I think they’re like big,
more than captured Sector Mongrels by their Clan; caged and bored and dangerous infants. Cruel, in the way only children
isolated from all but their apathetic minder. Such treatment can be.”
leaves them ill equipped to cope independently, they become - Shimmerlight, Ebon Operative SCL
reliant for almost everything and they become anxious when 8a, Squad ‘Here goes nothing...’
not occupied or within a few feet of that minder. Should
the Abomination ever be separated from a minder for longer
than a few minutes they will become agitated and if placed
in a situation where they don’t know where their minder
is they will panic and lash out. Should the Abomination’s
minder be killed they will become inconsolable and retreat
into a state of cacophonous grief punctuated only by periods
of berserker rage and tantrums.
Cannibal Abomination
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 4 0 1
0 1* 0 +5
30 2 8
Skills
Intimidate: 4 Language (Biya): 1
Melee Weapons: 3 Polearm: 3
Survival: 2 Throw: 3
Unarmed Combat: 3
Equipment
Light Scrap Armour over a Thick Hide (PV
1, Resistance 12), 2 Handed Club, Knife.
Note: Abominations are raised as little more than war-

beasts but are still somewhat human in their emotions.
They need the constant attention of their minders and hate
isolation. The one time they know fear is when separated
from them. If at any time they cannot see them, they will
immediately fly into a state of panic and rage, attacking
whatever is nearest to them, regardless of whether the
target is friend, foe or inanimate object. During this rage
their COOL is considered to be 1.
149
Cannibal Outcast No amount of fresh bloody meat will save or cure the
Outcast, as the diseases flooding his system are destined to
Cannibal Butchers are favoured sons of the Matriarch and kill him within a year.
there is very little that will force her to banish one from
her Clan. Butchers also love their mother and betrayal is Cannibal Outcast
almost completely unheard of, so the circumstances of their
STR DEX KNOW CONC
departure are usually bizarre and exceptional.
4 4 1 0
Butchers are usually expelled from a Clan because of
disease and the effect it has had on their psyche. Cannibals CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
are among the Sector’s hardiest stock but when they fall into 0 4 0 +6
sickness of body and mind it is usually as a result of not just
one disease, but a deadly combination.
25 2 6
Often, the Clan cannot identify the root cause of the sickness
and as long as the illness goes untreated the Butcher will Skills
descend into pain, confusion and resentment. He becomes
Detect: 1 Intimidate: 3
increasingly more violent and unpredictable, becoming as
unmanageable as the rowdiest of Abominations. Language (Biya): 2 Leadership: 1
With a heavy heart, the Matriarch will elect to abandon Lore (Sector): 1 Melee Weapons: 3
her son to the wilderness. Cannibal tribes will not typically Rifle: 1 Survival: 3
end the suffering of their Butcher and take his life as the
Clans believe it will cast terrible bad luck on their family for Tactics: 1 Torture: 2
months, or even years. Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 3
As the Butcher stumbles out on his own, his condition
Equipment
only worsens. The combination of viruses slowly consumes
his entire being until he becomes little better than a Sector Battered Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 5, Resistance
Mutant, attacking anything and everything in his path. 20), Grappler, Punch Dagger, 2 Throwing
Daggers, Rawhead Talisman. (50% have a weapon
Yet, unlike the Mutant, the Outcast still retains much
taken from a Carrien, Shiver or Operative).
of his previous combat prowess and thus he presents a far
greater threat. Any victim unfortunate to fall victim to the Progeny of Rawhead
Outcast will be eaten alive as the Cannibal’s ravening hunger
overrides all reason and sense. “Hail the Father of Gore! Hail Rawhead!”
Cannibal Warcry (translated from Biyan)
The emergence of the Rawhead cult amongst the Cannibal

tribes has been a matter of considerable concern for Threat
Analysis.
At first it was laughed at; the primitives had found a Dream
Entity to worship and it would probably eat or ignore them.
But then the Bloody Bones Clan, the first known family to
have worshipped the monstrous deity, grew more successful
in gaining and holding territory. They had found faith and
their devotion had brought forth divine rewards.
Upon investigation, it was acknowledged that they had
started to field a new type of Abomination. It was not one
of the typical mangled mutations that had been seen before;
these had a more uniformed appearance. There might only
have been half a dozen of them recorded, but they were
worth thrice that in battle.
It was initially remarked that the mutants looked a lot like
the Effigies and crudely painted iconography the Rawhead
cult had left offerings to, suggesting a powerful unknown
Cannibal leader. The matter was placed under observation,
but was not considered anything more than a curiosity.
150
SCARY MONSTERS
Over time Rawheadian symbology spread into the Progeny of Rawhead

territories of other Clans with rumours that the same
imagery was being seen in Downtown graffiti. STR DEX KNOW CONC
Initial attempts to capture and interrogate the Rawhead 5 5 1 2
cultists revealed little and it is still uncertain whether CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
Rawhead has actually been seen in the flesh. 0 6 0 +6
The Progeny themselves clearly had the supposed look of
their father. They were enormous, hulking brutes, larger even
than the Butchers. Their skin was chalk white, with black, 20 2 5
wound like eyes spread far apart on the skull and shredded
Skills
fang jaws that bled continually.
Detect: 2 Intimidate: 3
The Progeny lived to kill and feast on flesh, with near
insatiable appetites. They uttered few words and when not Language (Biya): 3 Leadership: 1
engaged in slaughter or feasting they would fade into a fugue Lore (Sector): 2 Melee Weapons: 3
state, immersed in gorey dreamscapes and imaginings.
They have their mother’s love but also her fear, because they
are closer to the Dream Entities that inspired them than any Tactics: 2 Torture: 2
living creature. Tracking: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3
Equipment
Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 6, Resistance
24), Grappler, 3 throwing daggers.
Optional: When Vibro or chain weapons become
available to the Clan they are often given to the Progeny
who claim such weapons as a sign of Rawheads favour.
Cannibal Matriarch
“No she’s my mamma, not yours!”
Sack, Cannibal Runt, heard arguing
with its sibling, Tabor Projects.
The majority of Cannibal Clans based in Sector 1 are ruled

by a Matriarch. She is large in stature, bestowed with a
powerful combination of muscle and fat which is necessary to
keep her increasing family of hungry monsters in check. The
Matriarch also has a higher intelligence than the majority of
her kin and it is through her knowledge of the surroundings
and keen foresight that has kept the unruly Clan alive and
prospering over countless years.
She must know the power levels of neighbouring Clans and
the continual threats of rival Cannibal Clans and Carrien
which threaten to devour or displace her, along with her
children. She must be able to recognise the blooming White
Queen Lichen on concrete slabs and the deadly sweet scent
of KZ 14 contaminate. The Matriarch must recognise ally
from foe, the edible from the inedible.
Most importantly of all she must know whom to elevate in
her Clan and whom to downgrade based on loyalty, skill and
performance. All these decisions and plans rest on her thick
shoulders and it is fortunate that they are strong enough to
bear the weight of such responsibilities.
To the outsider, unfamiliar with the culture of the Clans,
might consider the resident Matriarch ugly and obese, but
151
the Cannibals based in the far flung wastes of the Sector do Cannibal Matriarch
not adhere to societal norms in the World of Progress.
STR DEX KNOW CONC
The fat reserves piled on the frame of the Matriarch are
a symbol of her power status, telling the observer that she 5 3 3 3
is well fed and prospering and that her Clan is in a healthy CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
state. 2 5 0 +6
At the birth of a new Cannibal Clan, the Matriarch is the
sole breeder and sires several generations of Butchers. Each
pregnancy usually births triplets and within the weeks of the 22 2 5
birth the Matriarch resumes governance of the tribe. This
Skills
is important within the internal politics of the Clan; that
the Matriarch maintains her authority over the Cannibals Detect: 3 Intimidate: 3
beneath her. Language (Biya): 4 Leadership: 4
When the Matriarch produces females within her litter, Lore (Sector): 4 Melee Weapons: 4
she will examine and decide which of them will take over
responsibility of rearing children and those who will honour
their mother and become Termagants. Tactics: 2 Throw: 1
Equipment
Heavy Scrap Armour(PV 6, Resistance 24), Harpoon
Gun, Grappler, Rawhead Talisman. Grease Grenade.
Massive: A Matriarch ignores all wounds to the torso and

any damage not inflicted to the limbs or head is reduced
by 1 after armour PV has been applied.
My Babies!: A Matriarch who sees one of her children
killed in battle will become violently enraged, gaining a
+1 to both STR and DEX until the assailant flees or is
incapacitated or killed. Additionally, while in this state of
rage, a Matriarch is considered to be entirely immune to
the effects of Fear.
CANNIBAL WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT

Grappler
Built like some hideous combination of cleaver, hook and
harpoon, the Grappler is the most common weapon wielded
by the Cannibal Butchers. Deadly in melee and when thrown,
it is a ruthlessly honed blade capable of piercing armour and
thanks to the long chains attached to the handles, dragging
victims to their doom.
Once a victim has been dragged before the butchers they
will be bound ready for slaughter. There might be some
momentary thoughts of rescue but not once the Butcher
takes their share.
Butchers that have been successful with a particular
Grappler usually name them.These names are often derivative
names based on their mother or some other revered family
member. If an unnamed blade is taken on a hunt where one
of the Cannibals die it is a sign of great respect to name the
blade after the fallen.
152
SCARY MONSTERS
Lash Whip
Lash whips are strips of cured pig-leather woven and
knotted into two metre lengths. At their tips is tied a
small sharpened piece of bone or metal, big enough to cut
unprotected flesh, but insufficient to cause any significant
harm.
Cannibal Wranglers use these beastly whips to herd
their hideous Carnivorous swines and when fielded with
an Electro-Prod is usually sufficient to drive them in the
direction of a target.
Grappler Cost: N/A Most Lash Whips are single strand whips akin to Bullwhips
SKILL: Melee Weapons/Thrown though this is dependent both on the traditions of the tribe
and the preference of the Wrangler. Lash Whips similar to
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT Grand Knouts, Scourges and Sjamboks have also been seen
1d10-1 2 2 1 by Shiver patrols.
Note: See Harpoon Special Rule.
Lash Whip Cost: N/A
Grease Grenade SKILL: Melee Weapons/Thrown
Crude Earthenware pots of flammable oils and grease that DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT
are lit on fire by the Cannibals and thrown as a first wave
in most attacks. When cracked open they will spill open 1d10-4 1 0 1
covering a 1m radius in flammable smoking liquid. Punch Dagger
When used in a hunt they serve the purpose of stopping A popular weapon amongst Cannibal Sector inhabitants
prey from escaping the hunting party. is the punch dagger. A T-shaped weapon, it consists of a
handle at a perpendicular angle to a blade that is designed to
Grease Grenade Cost: N/A
emerge from between the user’s knuckles.
Skill: Throw
Punch Daggers tend to be shorter than most daggers with
DMG Min DMG AD Weight Radius blades more akin to spikes. An ideal Punch Dagger is small
1d10-1 0 1 1 1m/ 12m enough that it can be concealed in a belt, boot, or wrist
sheath and stout enough that it can pierce through lighter
The Blast Radius of a Grease Grenade has 2 radiuses.
armours.
The first one is the radius that damage is dealt to. The
second is the radius of its pungent smoke. The smoke
will block all sight except for IR or Thermal imaging,
both of which also suffer visual distortion, causing a -1
modifier to any visual-based Detect skill rolls. Characters
that suffer damage are subject to the burning condition.
Electro-prod
The crudest of crude electrical weapons is the Electroprod.
It is a 2 metre pole rigged with a battery pack, a pair of cables
that terminate in two bare wires and a switch to cause the
prod to activate.
Punch Dagger Cost: N/A
Electro-Prod Cost: N/A
SKILL: Unarmed
SKILL: Polearm
(See Below) 1 1 1
1d10-7 0 0 1
Note: As Punch +1 DMG
Rules: Stunner 0
Pig goad: When a Pig is zapped with the
Electro-prod it increases its Closing and
Rushing by 1 for the next 1d10 rounds
153
Harpoon Gun Sawn-Off Shotgun

The Harpoon Gun is a weapon with a proud history dating Before the fall of Salvation Tower the Central Outskirts
back to the hunters of the Blue Rock Mountains. In those were rife with cheap arms manufacturers, all of which were
glory days where the vast herds ran free, the weapons evolved pillaged in the Piper Riots. Over time, as the weapons wore
into sleek compact rifles equal part chemical powered out, the lathes that built them were taken and the Cannibals
projectile and electromagnetic coil gun. started to make their own weapons. While they made
Their projectile was a lightweight composite material numerous attempts at fabricating firearms, only the simplest
laced with heavier magnetic alloys and tipped with a ridged showed any return on this investment.
arrowhead. Often all a harpoon needs to do is hit a target, Many sawn-offs start life as other weapons, A Bully boy’s
for the arrow to take hold. Even if the arrow is stopped by barrel can easily make a pair of barrels for a sawnoff. The BBs
armour or a thick hide the arrow will lodge tight. of a Gauss Rifle can always be repurposed for home-made
Dragged behind this vicious barb is a microfine tensile shells.
cable connected to the belt of the shooter and, depending
on the prey, the nearest heavy boulder or anchoring site. An
automatic winch is then activated to recover the target for
the shooter.
While some of these magnificent weapons still exist and
the occasional weaponsmith will recreate them, more often
than not the Harpoon guns in use by the Cannibal tribes are Sawn-Off Shotgun Cost: N/A
far removed from their heyday. While functionally identical
many use more powerful charges to push less svelte arrows Skill: Rifle
carrying thicker ropes or in some cases chains. This makes DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
them much louder, a feature that, thanks to the Matriarch’s 1d10+3 5 2 2
love for this weapon, has led to the Cannibals using these
weapons as a symbol of authority. ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost
1* 1 10m 2 N/A
* The user may choose to fire both rounds at once.
When doing so, treat the shot as though a single
round was fired but add +3 DMG and +1 AD.
Reloading this weapon takes two Combat Rounds.
Slingshot
With no status to demand better weapons, Runts are
forced to make do with what they can scavenge. Often
made of bent pieces of wood or metal bound in scrap wire
Harpoon Gun Cost: N/A or braided hair, Slingshots can utilise all manner of detritus
Skill: Rifle or scrap from stones to bolts, to the ball bearings fired from
Gauss Rifles.
Slingshots are largely vermin killers and distraction
1d10-3 2 1 1 weapons. Most armour can protect against them, though
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost the occasional lucky shot might crack a sensor plate or get
wedged in a joint.
1 0 10m 1 N/A
In battle, canny tribes use Slingshots to aggravate enemy
Note: See Harpoon Special Rule. mutants and warbeasts in the hopes that they turn on their
allies. While this can occasionally lead to a decisive victory,
Harpoon Special Rule: Any Harpoon that penetrates
more frequently it alerts the enemy to the position.
armour will be hard to remove and the user of the weapon
can then attempt to reel the target in. The success of this
action should be at the GMs discretion and based on
the comparative STR of the user and target. Should the
penetrating attack have rolled an Exceptional success it
means that the target has been impaled and while caught
takes the harpoons minimum damage ignoring PV at the
start of every round.
154
SCARY MONSTERS
Slingshot Cost: N/A
Skill: Throw
1d10-5 1 1 0
1 0 15m 1 N/A
Throwing Dagger
These tiny weapons are mostly blade with only a small
approximation of a handle. These daggers are typically made
from diamond shaped slivers of sharpened steel surrounded
in carved bone or shaped metals. The bone adds heft to the
knives, so that when they’re thrown they’ll be less likely to
flutter and more likely to find purchase in their target.
While throwing daggers can be found in the load outs
of Operatives and Shivers they are especially popular with
Cannibal Runts. The range of a throwing dagger is often
much less than the slingshot and so a Runt will often
carry several such knives for use once the slingshots spurs a
response from their target.
Throwing Dagger Cost: N/A

Rawhead Talisman
SKILL: Melee Weapons/Thrown
The Rawhead cult has grown quickly amongst the Cannibal
Clans. Rawhead Talismans are made from the severed head
of a powerful enemy such as an Alpha Carrien, rival Butcher
or the occasional SLA Operative.
The head’s lips are usually cut away revealing its bared
teeth with its forehead and cheeks painted with the deity’s
symbols.
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT The Rawhead Talisman is believed to bring luck to the
1d10-4 1 0 0 tribe that brandishes it and will protect them in battle.
While there is no doubt that some sort of psychosomatic
May be used as a thrown weapon using the Throw
element to the talisman, Naga 7 has theorised that these
skill. When thrown, the weapon does +1 DMG.
talismans impede Dream Entities from affecting the Clan
Cannibal Spear and in doing so, force them to afflict nearby rivals.
Cannibals have been sticking spikes to the end of sticks It is not believed that this is not down to any particular
since they first took up arms. From the lowly target spear to quality of the talisman but more the Entities’ belief in the
the formidable pig hunting lance, every cannibal knows how power of the talisman.
to use a a spear.
Rawhead Talisman Cost: N/A
Cannibal Spear Cost: N/A Weight: 1-2
SKILL: Polearm/Thrown Any Cannibals in the presence of a Rawhead Talisman
DMG MIN DMG AD WEIGHT gain +1 COOL (ignoring racial maximums) in
relation to fear caused by Dream Entities and to
1d10-2 4 1 2 resist the effects of any Dream Entity abilities.
May be used as a thrown weapon using the Throw
skill. When thrown, the weapon does +1 DMG. “They say their talismans bring them luck, and that may
or may not be true. One thing I know is I’d rather face a
cannibal that’s not waving a taliusman around.”
- Shiver Pvt. Emma Linsie, Bridgehead
‘Noddy’s Sister’, squad ‘Constant Vigil’
155
THE CHILDREN OF SCAROGG

“I used to think: well, if I’m not in the Cannibal Sector in Downtown without the approval or consent of SLA
I won’t have to contend with Scavs. But I guess that’s no Industries. Worse still, he’d used a Shaktarian corpse as his
longer true, they’re ‘in’ now. It’s a threat I think SLA always foundation.
overlooked and we’ll all come to regret it. Instead of issuing the Extermination Warrant Arild
I mean, this is why the Scavs got to be so dangerous; because deserved for his crimes, SLA rewarded him and granted
they were ignored. further funds and resources to continue his true Vodyanoy
All along I’ve been saying ‘you took the war to the project.
NorthWest Compact and you fought the Cannibals, but you The research was of course highly controversial so they
didn’t go far enough’. They should be sending Ops out there elected to post Dr Scarogg out in the far reaches of the No-
to Blue Rock and Ocrata and wipe those factories off the face Go Zone.
of Mort’s map. Within two years, SLA Industries lost all contact with
Too late now, I suppose. They’re working with the fucking Scarogg and the work he had completed on the project
Skin Trade now. Paying in what’s called ‘Scav Gold’. disappeared with him.
What’s that old game where you close your eyes and In 706sd. Arild Frode Scarogg vanished but the fabled
everyone tries to approach you, getting closer every time you Vodyanoy would return, in a new and brutal form that would
turn round. Marcus something, I think. terrorise the Cannibal Sector for centuries to come.
Anyway, that’s what the Scavs are. SLA isn’t paying
attention and every moment that passes they’re drawing in THE VODYANOY CAMPAIGN
around us.”
In 710sd. the first reports of a new species sighted in Tabor
‘Fractal’, Ebon Operative, SCL 7d, Projects was filed with Threat Analysis. This event would
Squad ‘Scream Queens’. come to be known as The Dawn of Scarogg.
The species was heavy set and towering eight feet or
Scavs have become a well known and loathed threat
more in height. Their faces were hidden beneath gas masks
throughout Cannibal Sector One. Operatives and
and respirators and even the mildest exertions resulted in
BridgeHead Shivers alike fear them because they are as big
hoarse coughing and wheezing. Yet despite their apparent
as Shaktars, mean as Stormers, dangerously industrious and
respiratory ailments these mysterious individuals were
utterly emotionless.
otherwise tough, hardy and as the inhabitants of Cannibal
The Scavs are a category of Collateral enemy types which Sector 1 would soon discover, incredibly hostile.
Threat Analysis has, much like the Dream Entities, placed
They would come to be referred to as Scavs, because
restricted access to information pertaining to the species.
after attacking and defeating Cannibal Clan and Dark
There are a whole host of rumours circulating with regards Night Terror Cells alike, they would immediately set about
to what is concealed beneath their armoured respirators, of pillaging their belongings and armaments, then slowly head
which there are countless half truths and dubious theories. back northwards to some unknown location.
There is, however, a clear history concerning the Scavs Operative Squads and Sector Rangers had some success in
and how they are a product of SLA Industries’ dabbling in taking down the first invasive Scavs, but they were alarmed
biogenetics, but few have granted the full access of the data at their findings.
files.
The Scavs were armed with custom made weapons, some of
Scavs, or as they were originally titled Vodyanoy, are the which were apparently as powerful as those created by SLA
invention of the mad genius Doctor Arild Frode Scarogg - a Industries itself.
highly controversial figure in SLA Industries’ dotted history.
As the decades passed, the Scavs would gain grim notoriety
Arild came to the attention of Cloak Division after it was in the Sector and build several strongholds throughout
discovered he’d secretly attempted to create an experimental the vast region. Each new encounter with teams of Scavs
hybrid using DNA and organic tissue from various species
156
unveiled new and improved equipment and weaponry; they

were learning much and advancing at an alarming rate.
The Scavs were humanoid but their mindset was anything
but, they operated more like a colony of insects. The Scavs
seemed utterly devoid of emotion, displaying neither rage
nor joy in their labours or combat. If they felt any form of
physical pain or fear, they were well hidden beneath their
blank faced gas masks.
Since their first appearance in the Sector in the seventh
century, the Scavs have taken over two regions, the ancient
industrial complex of Ocrata where the vast majority
of the Vodyanoy weaponry, armour and equipment are
manufactured and the northern mountain range of Blue
Rock, which is home to the largest and more dangerous
Vodyanoy - Blue Rock Scavs.
“If we could take Blue Rock I honestly believe we could

end the Vodyanoy in a matter of years. Ocrata may have
the manufacturing plants, but Blue Rock Scavs have their
own think tank that likely controls everything. In order to
achieve that the Shiver Organisation would have to set up
a BridgeHead in the region and that’s literally impossible as
the Posey Rain continues to fall.”
Shiver Commander Cradle.
To the Shivers of Cannibal Sector 1 they are simply the

Scavs, but to Threat Analysis at SLA Head Office, they will
always be the Vodyanoy - the greatest biogenetic experiment
that spilled through the company’s fingers. A terrible marvel
that has greater brain power than the SLA Stormer, a
creation that is not only inventive but forward planning, an
homunculus that is capable of breeding.
The majority of Scav collectives remain within the Sector,
battling the encroaching Shiver BridgeHeads who seek
to take back the ruins and protecting their manufacturing
plants from raids and surveillance.
The more nomadic Scav teams like The Scourge set their
sights on Mort City. Utilising small splinter groups they
crept towards the remotest sections of the vast Sector Walls,
cutting down patrolling 830 Gators and slipping through
the cracks, into Downtown District 6…
INFILTRATING DOWNTOWN
“Mummy, there’s a bad man looking at me from that

window up there.”
Ellie Coleman, aged 7, Downtown
Civilian (Unemployed).
The Scavs have now broken through into Downtown,

fighting their way up through the lower Districts into more
densely populated areas. They know not to draw too much to
themselves and to keep to the early hours of the morning to
travel and conduct their trade.
157
Upon entering Downtown at District 6 the Vodyanoy desperate measures, so the corpses would be quietly dragged
first encountered the Dregs. Whilst intriguing, the poor back to their temporary domicles, to be devoured.
neglected Humans were of limited use to the Scavs. Even in the busy, unfamiliar bustle of Downtown, the
It was quickly discovered these first captives couldn’t be Vodyanoy knew they were superior and capable of taking full
bred with, they exhibited little in the way of sentience and advantage of the new surroundings and its people. With the
therefore couldn’t be put to hard labour. They could, however, full knowledge that they could kill quickly and efficiently,
be eaten, so some good was to come out of their discovery. SLA Industries would in most instances be slow to respond.
The Scavs were however looking for more. Dregs had all The next stage of their plan was put into effect.
the physical traits of a Human being, but that was as close As always, the Vodyanoy would start to build, with a
as they would ever come. It is the common way of Vodanoy fraction of their numbers sent into Lower Downtown to
that when they find a new item, they will always strip it scout out locations for factories and assembly plants, where
down to its essential parts and gain a greater understanding the infrastructure could begin anew.
of the artefact. It would not be as swift and ambitious as in the far flung
The Mort Civilian would be no different; he would be reaches of Cannibal Sector 1, progress would need to be
captured, studied and then physically disassembled for the approached with greater caution and patience.
closing stage of research. The majority of civilians living in Downtown were Human
In the first few months of their arrival in Mort City they in origin. They were not as strong and resilient as the more
quietly watched the varying factions of Downtown Districts; familiar Cannibals, but they had greater access to firearms,
Civilians, Gangs and Shiver patrols, assessing their threat particularly when they gathered together in aggressive
levels as they lurked in abandoned tower blocks, peering out collectives called ‘gangs’.
through the cracks in the boarded up windows. They could of course be dealt with without too much
Then came the random killings, small detachments who trouble, but often Operatives would follow on after dead
ventured out and performed assassinations, all to see the gang members and things became more complicated.
resistance these fresh adversaries might present and to gauge Even in the depths of Lower Downtown there were issues,
SLA’s response to their actions. Desperate times called for esoteric threats like Dream Entities and Shi’An cult activity
158
were hard to quantify within the narrow thought processes The Scavs were holding eight women and one male captive
of a Vodyanoy mind, but the Scavs would adapt and find a in their location. These hostages, all Human, had not been
way, as they always had. starved or injured in any way, but they were disturbed and
Alongside the raiding of Gang hangouts and Soft Company frightened nonetheless. They all had stories to tell about the
bases for hardware, the Scavs were also on the hunt for fresh Scav living conditions, which took weeks to relay.
captives for breeding, primarily, but also for a whole new In essence, they felt like captive lab rats scrutinised by what
range of study. could best be described as otherworldly scientists. The base
was full of books, magazines, toys and curiosities which the
CAPTIVE SUBJECTS Scavs briefly examined, but mostly they gave them to their
prisoners to watch how the captives would respond to the
The Vodyanoy began negotiations with the Skin Trade, but external stimulus.
these were tentative steps at first. The Scavs, as frightening
Sometimes they were well fed and generally looked after.
and unknowable to most Downtowners as the Conflict
In other instances, they were starved to the brink of death,
Aliens had been, were difficult to read, with their limited
which had resulted in the deaths of 5 captives.
response structure, body language and facial expressions
hidden behind respirator masks. There were no failed experiments in the mind of the
Vodyanoy; it was all useful data but the exact meaning was
That said, they had cash in their pockets, which were
not apparent to their prisoners.
surprisingly deep.
The captives were made to copulate, to watch television,
In a very short space of time the Scavs proved independently
react to and interact with objects unfamiliar to Scavs. They
wealthy, accrued in great heaps from their countless raids
were driven to fill in colouring books, to read books, often
and would reimburse the Skin Trade outfits well during
made to read literature aloud and all the while, one or more
transactions, often far exceeding the normal pay of regular
Scav would sit and silently watch and listen to everything.
clients. Money seemed to be no object to the Scavs when it
came to breeding stock and raw materials, both of which are By the time the Operatives invaded the base the Humans
difficult to obtain out in the Sectors. had been under control of the Scavs for 18 months.
Living under such outlandish extremes took its toll on
“Of course they’re rich. Scavs aren’t vain or aiming to flaunt most of the subjects and upon rescue three of the prisoners
their social status, so they ain’t spending their ill gotten gains were catatonic and two made repeated attempts to take their
on ‘nice things.’ They pillage, they murder, they steal, then all own lives.
the stacks of unis go on whatever builds their power base.”
Shiver Sgt. Rodriguez, Downtown “I’ve seen the Shi’An cultists escapees turn up in the Shiver
Patrol, District 7, Sector 12-18. precincts like that. It’s bad shit they get forced to endure for
not just hours, but months, even years at time. With the
The Scavs are here to trade, but they are also here to learn. Shi’An it is mostly just unending savagery, but with the
They may never fit within the confines of Mort society Scavs? My guess it’s the pressure of having to respond to a
but they want to know more about Mort City itself - the creature that is ultimately unknowable.
architectural layout, the numerous factions in the urban You don’t know how to reason, or plead with, or even best
environment vying for power and control. serve such a being. You have no idea what it needs or thinks.
So far, Scavs have not challenged SLA forces on their own It knows what it wants and is only interested in obtaining
turf, at least not yet. Firefights tend to erupt when the Scavs it from you.
are disturbed, either in their secret bases dotted around Those poor fuckers had been trapped under those conditions
Downtown, or during their business transactions with the for somewhere in the region of two whole years. That’s gotta
nearby Skin Traders. scramble your brain pan.”
It is usually Shiver patrols who stumble across them and Sarah Coppinger, Human Operative,
after that the Shiver troops don’t last very long. SCL8b, Squad ‘Boss Man’s Wrath’.
The Scavs who now have entered Downtown and are now
largely based there, have begun exhibiting odd behaviour, It was considered by Threat Analysis as a distured and
even by Vodyanoy standards. elaborate form of education facility; the Scavs learned
more about the intricacies of Downtown Civilians and the
An Op team broke up a small Scav team that had been
Civilians learned to fear the Scavs.
operating out of a rundown apartment building in District 7
of Lower Downtown. They put up a considerable protracted
fight, but the Ops were ultimately victorious. After the
dust settled the Op team began a search of their base and
uncovered countless bizarre findings.
159
Even the ruthless Skin Traders have struggled with the

DARK TRADE Vodyanoy’s insatiable drive for more. More breeding stock,
It was always hoped that the Vodyanoy would not and more captives, more materials, more factories, the Traders
could not integrate into Mort society, but as Scav groups watch as herd upon herd of Human cattle are dragged off
like The Scourge trade with seedy organisations like the Skin screaming to a fate worse than death.
Trade, the exchange in goods and services evolves beyond At first, the heaps of ‘Scav Gold’ deafens the ears, but the
unis for flesh. endless cargo of victims gradually wears down the coldest
One of the primary skills of the Vodyanoy is their innate hearts.
ability to Optimise weapons and technical devices. Until The Skin Traders deal with all manner of hard and seedy
recently, they only built and improved their own armouries, clientele and every so often they will catch an especially
but in their increased need for living captives they have bad one. A customer who aims to purchase product that
begun to optimise weaponry for Soft Companies and the is intended to die within a short timespan. In the Trader’s
price in return is yet more stock in flesh. mind: it just happens. Civilians die all the time and why not
During the time the Scavs have spent infiltrating make a few unis when life is so cheap in Downtown?
Downtown, they have widened their requirements to include But they could never have imagined a set of clients with
just about every species, age and gender. The Scavs will force near limitless wealth and so alien an outlook.
their slaves into every facet of their industry, but most of this
sinister employment is back breaking menial work. “Some outfits call ‘em ‘Vodyanoy’. That’s a Skendish word
for ‘monster’ and I reckon that fits ‘em down to the ground.
“By the time we were able to access the Vodyanoy base the They have unis to burn, but I still don’t like dealing with
Scavs were already gone. As per usual the level of efficiency in those Raspies. I don’t like any customer I can’t control.
their withdrawal is staggering. They took almost everything I mean, look at them. They’re fucking massive! They’re
with them, neatly removing all the useful machinery and armed to the teeth, they never say much of anything besides
working components in the factory. ‘women’ and ‘more’. I also don’t like that I can’t see they’re
What they didn’t take was the fifty or so Human corpses faces, they’ve always got them hidden behind those ugly gas
that had been piled in a storage container. masks.
Judging by the smell, there had been KZ14 contamination I can look any cunt in the eye and know in a matter of
involved, otherwise I suppose the Scavs would have fed the seconds the kinda dog I’m dealing with and I don’t know
bodies to their pigs; as we know they waste nothing. The nothin’ about the Vodyanoy. Not really. They’re a complete
bodies were all male, ranging from about twelve to fifty five fucking mystery and that scares me.
years of age and they were nothing but skin and bone. If the Last week,The Scourge came round to buy twenty broads
KZ hadn’t got to them it was clear they would have been off me. I began quoting a price and they just threw a bag of
worked to death. unis at me, literally. It was twice the amount I was gonna
They would have fared better in a Moral Right Re- quote, but to them it was just like reaching into their pockets
education Factory, which is a terrifying thought in itself.” for loose change.
- Tarak Harakhebi – Neophron Operative, We got the product out and then began all the hollering
SCL 7a, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’. and wailing. Glenn started hittin’ them with Pig Prod and
the Boss Scav punched him right in the skull. Instant kill. I
Entering business transactions with the Scavs is a lucrative could hear his neck crunch. We let the Raspies have that one
yet risky move; any dealings with them can incur a heavy on the house…
debt, whether that be in obligation or on the psyche. Three days later, The Scourge were back. Another twenty.
Vodyanoy are sentient, intelligent beings but they do not Slung another bag of unis at me. Only this time we didn’t
have the emotional range found in other species. It would be have no twenty women in the storage room. We had ten.
safe to suggest they have no range at all. You know what’s scarier than a Scav? A big fucking angry
Scavs have more in common with insect colonies; they Scav.
operate as a hive, without a true understanding of the self The Boss turned on me like I’d spat in his face and that’s the
or the individual. Every action is in service of the Vodyanoy problem with the Vodyanoy: it’s all great trading until there’s
colony, from the dull witted Drekavac Labourer to the ruling a disruption in the supply chain. That’s when you get to see
Leshy Pit Boss. If a hundred captives must die under the exactly how dangerous, how impatient the Scavs are when
strain of work detail to further the goals of the colony, the they don’t get what they want.
Scavs will enact it without hesitation and then go forth to
buy or capture a hundred more workers. Scav Bosses have just one emotion. Rage.
We handed over the women for free. We took the hit.
160
See, you have to understand: you don’t fuck with Scavs. a Scav hideout or factory and are forced to battle a foe far
They run negotiations and don’t you forget it. above their pay grade or capabilities.
You never get on the wrong side of a Scav.” The reason these chance encounters are so common is
Bobby Nine Fingers, Skin Trader, because Scavs are endlessly in pursuit of fresh weapons and
Delicacy Trading Post. equipment, as there are such rich pickings all across the
Downtown landscape in comparison to the barren Cannibal
The Vodyanoy have made attempts to tap upon another Sector. The typical rivals of the Operative Squad are equally
local resource when the Skin Traders run short on suitable as delectable to the industrious Scav.
Human captives - the Dregs. As is so often the case, SLA would much rather not have
This avenue has proved mostly fruitless for the Scavs seeking to think about a Scav threat in Mort City, so the problem is
to use them in the factories as their physical limitations and largely ignored and brushed under the proverbial rug. Word
low sentience makes them easy to bully but difficult to goad is spreading however, amongst the countless SLA squads
or motivate into toil. Unfortunately for the Dregs in the operating in the city and those with more experience with
higher Districts they are marginally healthier and just as the Vodyanoy are always willing to impart vital intel and the
fertile as their more advanced Human cousins and thus they tell tale signs of Scav activity to the less experienced.
are thrown into the Breeding Pens.
“The Scavs don’t fight and kill for the fun of it. When they
Vodyanoy factories are always based in Lower Downtown
hit a DarkNight or Soft Company base they do so to raid for
beyond the sight of SLA Operatives and Shiver Patrols. In the
gear. Usually their takings are highly specific, depending on
dark low Districts the Scavs can carry on their manufacture
the Scav team. Like, they’ll take all the firearms but not any
largely undisturbed. They are such a dangerous risk factor
of the ammo, or vice versa. Same with armour or equipment;
most other Collateral threats steer clear of them, although
they’ll kill everyone but only take whatever’s useful to them.
Dream Entities will sometimes seep into their slave pens
and grease stained corridors, drawn in by the daily horrors A Serial Killer Cognate or Downtown Gang would never
and endless misery. They tend not to attack anything as do that - they’ll take anything, they aren’t picky.
imposing as a Scav, but they will target unattended Human Sometimes you’ll just find armour plates that have been
captives who are unable to defend themselves. torn off and discarded. Those were fresh, young bodies they
In Lower Downtown, the greatest opponent of the fully intend to eat; they just didn’t want to have to carry the
Vodyanoy is the Shi’An cult, who lash out aggressively at excess weight.
what they see as encroachment upon their territory. Scavs are really single minded, everything is about
Members of a nearby Coven may spend many months efficiency. If you try to think about what they would want or
surveilling the Vodyanoy compound and assess their powers need, the evidence at a crime scene is really obvious.”
and capabilities. All these findings are then relayed back to Varn Metcalfe, Human 0perative, SCL
the Coven’s Malefactor and appropriate summonings and 8, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’.
spells commence.
The Shi’An pose just as high a risk to the Vodyanoy as they
do to SLA Industries. As powerful as the Scavs are, they are BIO CLASSIFICATION
unfamiliar with such an unpredictable and mystical enemy.
The Shi’An will attack a Vodyanoy factory with all manner DREKAVAC
of denizen from the deserts of White Earth and, if their
work in Downtown is deemed important enough to the Red Up until recently the Drekavac strain of Vodyanoy was a
King, the Ethereals too may be enlisted to eradicate the local rare sight, despite being among the most numerous of Scavs
threat. forms. They were largely confined to intensive labour driven
roles deep within the Scav factories and compounds.
DOWNTOWN SCAVS They were first sighted by Sector Rangers infiltrating
a large water refinery in the heart of Ocrata, described as
Most Operatives are unaware that the Scavs have infiltrated
great hulking monstrosities, with thick lumpen arms and
Downtown and since SLA Industries has been less than
yet appeared to be the least aggressive of all the Vodyanoy
forthcoming with this information their only means of
strains. The Rangers considered the Karma’s Low Waves as
discovering the facts is to collide with the Vodyanoy whilst
the closest approximation to the Drekavac.
on an unrelated mission.
Drekavac are useful to the Vodanoy aims, but they sit at the
An Operative Squad may encounter the Scavs purely by
lowest rung of their hierarchy. They are an unfortunate result
accident during the completion of a totally unrelated BPN.
of Vodyanoy interbreeding. Drekevacs have a low intellect,
They could be targeting a DarkNight Base, or investigating
but make up for it in sheer strength and as long as the task
a Serial Killer Cognate and find themselves stumbling upon
161
assigned to them is not not overly complicated Drekavacs Drekevac tend only to attack when prompted, either by
will tirelessly commit to their duties without question or unspoken order by a Scav superior, or to defend themselves.
complaint, working machinery, hefting around enormous Now that The Scourge have entered the Downtown arena
storage crates of armour and munitions, or mopping up and set up shop, the Drekavac labourers have been installed
factory floors without rest, for days at a time. to take up the menial tasks, which typically involves acting as
Drekavacs stand around 10 feet tall, with flabby bodies jailers feeding and hosing down the pens of captives.
concealing tough, muscular frames. They do not wear armour
or carry weapons except perhaps for a heavy tool such as “It’s a good job the Drekavac aren’t brawlers like the
a two handed wrench associated with their work. They do Poleniks or the Bolotniks because they’re fucking big, like,
not wear the signature gas mask commonly associated with about a good foot taller than a 313 and just as broad.
Scavs and are kitted out with little more than a sack cloth I went on a BPN with some Sector Rangers and we entered
head covering and a respirator pipe running underneath a Vodyanoy base. It was bloody scary because there we were
which is inserted into the Drekavac’s neck. slipping by 8 of those brutes and they barely battered an
eyelid.
They called them ‘Scav Low Waves’ and that’s about right,
there’s barely anything going on up top, but the Rangers
warned me not to interfere with Drekavac’s work, or they’d
get mad. If the Drekavacs get ‘angry’ then it can be as bad as
tangling with a Leshy Pit Boss.”
Siv Threnn, Wraith Operatives, SCL
6, Squad ‘This Mortal Boil’.
Drekavac Labourer
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 2 2 2
0 5 0 +4
28 2 5
Skills
Appraisal: 3 Climbing: 1
Optimise: 3 Survival: 3
Technical (all): 2 Throw: 2
Equipment
Blunt Instrument (Hammer, Wrench, etc), Work
Overalls, Respirator, Rubber Galoshes.
Regeneration: Rate 1.
162
POLENIK Skills
Appraisal: 3 Detect: 3
When most people think about Scavs they think of the
Poleniks. They are fairly agile considering their size and Medical: 2 Melee Weapons: 3
build and face down the average SLA Operative opponent Optimise: 3 Pistol: 3
with relative ease. Rifle: 4 Survival: 3
Amongst the Scavs they serve as the middle management
Technical (Weapons): 2 Throw: 3
and make up the bulk of Vodyanoy’s Marauders out in
Cannibal Sector 1. While they tend not to engage in Tracking: 3 Unarmed Combat: 3
verbal communication with outsiders beyond grunting out Equipment
inarticulate statements or requests they know that internally
they can deliver factual information to their superiors Scrap Armour (Medium/Heavy), Scav AutoRifle
without hindrance or concern. (4 clips) or Scav Shotgun (4 clips), Scav Pistol
(3 clips), Combat Knife (see MAC Knife),
Poleniks fulfil the vast majority of roles amongst the 3 Medipacks (see BOOPA Medi-Kit).
Vodyanoy species.
Polenik
STR DEX KNOW CONC BOLOTNIK
5 5 3 3
The Bolotnik strain of Vodyanoy is the rarest in the species.
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative They differ from other Scavs in that their physiques are
0 5 0 +8 slightly smaller and slimmer making them less combat
driven and that they are more susceptible to disease. They
do however make up for these limitations in intelligence and
28 2 5 technical aptitude.
Bolotniks are experts in optimisation and engineering.
They can improve upon all but most sophisticated weaponry
and lead the strains creating brand new ones. Their ingenuity
has expanded into other fields including vehicles, powered
armours, drug synthesis, even following in the footsteps
of their own father/creator - Doctor Arlid Frode Scarrog,
branching into biogenetics.
The Vodyanoy are broadly guided by a council made up
largely of Bolotniks, with a handful of the oldest Leshy
handling issues of warfare. The Bolotniks themselves are
more focussed on the furtherance of the species and they
have tasked The Scourge with infiltrating Inner Downtown,
enslaving captives and breeding in the depths of Mort City.
The Bolotniks are highly valued, with most based in Ocrata
and Blue Rock, improving manufacture and conducting
research. Younger Bolotniks will however assume active
duty, assisting raiding/scrounging teams of Leshy/Poleniks
fixing and optimising faulty or malfunctioning weapons
and performing appraisals on whatever the team can rustle
together in their searches, even going as far as to create brand
new weapons on the move.
Bolotniks whom show the greatest amount of promise
inevitably find themselves heading back into the Vodanoy
strongholds and promoted to more important tasks.
163
TUGARIN
“Okay these fuckers are especially scary and it’s clear the
Scavs are throwing a lot of effort into this new variant. They
are absolutely enormous, fully armoured with heavy scrap
that will just make our flechettes bounce off and they’re fitted
with … what are those things on its arms, energy cannons?
I dread to think what these things are for … Siege weapons,
maybe? Heavy Assault? All I know for sure is I don’t want a
run in with them. Ever.”
Shiver Sgt. ‘Mac’ MaCaskill, BridgeHead Sallytown.
The Tugarin (also known as a Death’s Head Scav) is a

relatively new strain of Scav to appear in Cannibal Sector
1. It is a much larger variant than other Scavs, sometimes
reaching twelve feet in height. They are used for sheer brute
Bolotnik
STR DEX KNOW CONC
4 5 5 4
0 5 0 +9
25 2 5
Skills
Appraisal: 3 Detect: 3
Drive Civilian: 1 Drive: Military: 2
Medical: 3 Melee Weapons: 1
Optimise: 4 Pistol: 2
Technical (ALL): 3 Throw: 2
Equipment
Scrap Armour (Medium), Scav AutoRifle (3 clips)
or Scav Shotgun (3 clips), Scav Pistol (2 clips),
Combat Knife (see MAC Knife), 2 Medipacks (see
BOOPA Medi-Kit), Tool kit (see CNC Maintenance
Kit), assorted metal scraps and broken devices.
164
force and are of particularly low intelligence. They earn their

name for the white skull-like mask they wear.
LESHY
Tugarins were initially proposed to SLA Industries by “If you want a textbook definition of a ‘rage monster’ look
Scarogg just prior to departure for the No-Go Zone in no further than a Scav Pit Boss. Those guys are surly in the
706sd. Even during his years of research and isolation Arild extreme and really any kind of emotion is just rare among
was unable to progress further with the ambitious strain Scavs, but Leshys; they hate your guts and they’re more than
since the Tugarin required more dominant Shaktarian DNA happy to spill ‘em for you.”
in its processing. SLA Industries also expressly deterred
Scarogg from further development as the end result would Shiver Sgt. Albert ‘Husky’ Tremblay,
be ostensibly Shaktarian in its origins, which is evident in Squad ‘Mongrel Rush’.
the current strain stalking the ruins.
While the Poleniks aren’t exactly small, the Leshy are truly
Since the Bellwood Campaign and increased SLA massive. Under their masks and ragged armour, the Leshy
Operative presence in the Sector, the Vodyanoy have been retain more features of their Shaktarian progenitors than
able to obtain their much required components through the other Scavs. Not only are their facial features very similar
murder and pillaging of Shaktar combatants and this have to the expressive maws of the Shaktar but their red skin
been able to restart product of the abandoned Tugarin strain, tones also darken with age in just the same way. In the
combining it with Drekavac embryos, with devastating field they take on leadership roles and the smarter ones
results.
SLA Industries will now deny all knowledge or
responsibilities concerning the unmistakable resemblance
Tugarins bear to Shaktars. They will claim that the misdeed
is purely the work of modern Scavs and perhaps building
some alliance with the Dark Moon Shaktars in the No-Go
Zone, exchanging technology for DNA, in order to challenge
and blaspheme the Shaktar Nation.
They will never admit to the sinister past of the Vodyanoy,
how they greenlit the further development of a biogenetic
species that is now ravaging Mort. Too much time and too
many events have taken place in Sector 1 and there is enough
evidence and substantial lies to lay blame elsewhere…
Tugarin
STR DEX KNOW CONC
6 3 0 1
0 5 0 +4
34 2 5
Skills
Appraisal: 3 Climbing: 1
Optimise: 3 Pistol: 3
Unarmed Combat: 4
Equipment
Heavy Scrap Armour, Cybernetic Combat Drugs
Injector (3 doses) 1-2 Cybernetic Weapons,
(usually Scav Chainsaws or Scav Ion Cannons).
165
are occasionally called in by the Bolotnik council when

alternative viewpoints are desirable. Leshy make excellent
VODYANOY HARDWARE
Pit Bosses, they are cunning, aggressive and can withstand
a great deal of punishment. Even when injured they can get MELEE WEAPONS
back into the fray with only a few hours rest. Subject to all
manner of experimental combat drugs it is not uncommon Scav Chain Axe
to find them high on some Scav variant of Ultra Violence. When Operatives started bringing Gash Chain Axes into
The exact reasoning behind the Leshy’s inner fury is the Sector they did nothing less than supply the Bolotnik
unknown. High ranking Threat Analysts speculate that Scavs with a range of fresh raw materials. They quickly set
Leshy inherits more of the Shaktarian gene, but lacks the about research into the fallen weapons of dead Operatives
Nation’s faith and guidance to govern the desire for violence and then the manufacture of their own unique chain
and thus they are more in keeping with the attitudes of Dark weapons.
Moon Shaktars. As micronised power packs were in short supply and with
the Scav power plants being much larger than those in the
Leshy Gash weapon, the frame needed to be vastly reinforced.
STR DEX KNOW CONC The powerpacks also needed to be hot-swappable, as they
6 5 3 3 couldn’t match the original’s performance and would last
half as long at best.
This created a heavier, more monstrous version of the
0 6 1 +8 original which would be suitable for Leshy Pit Bosses. If that
Hit Points Closing Rushing had been the end of the story the Scav Chain Axe would
30 2 5 have constituted a success, but the Scavs are seldom willing
to let technology go unmodified.
Skills Innovations in the gear design meant that the chain could
Appraisal: 3 Climbing: 3 quickly kick into overdrive making it even nastier for all
Detect: 3 Leadership: 3 concerned.
Lore (Sector): 3 Melee Weapons: 3 Scav Chain Axe Cost: NA
Optimise: 3 Pistol: 3 Skill: Polearm

Rifle: 3 Survival: 4 DMG Min DMG AD Weight
Technical (Weapons): 2 Throw: 3 2d10+3 9 5 4
Tracking: 4 Unarmed Combat: 3 The Chain Axe is particularly hard to use. A modifier
of -1 to the Success Die is always applied when
Equipment
making attacks with a Chain Axe. Should every die
Scrap Armour (Heavy), Scav Combat Shotgun result in a failure during any roll to hit with this
(5 clips), Scav Chain Axe, Scav Pistol (2 clips), weapon, along with the usual need to take the Recover
Combat Knife (see MAC Knife), 1 Medipack action during the next combat round, the user is also
(see BOOPA Medi-Kit), 3 Flares. hurt by the weapon, taking 9 DMG and 5 AD.
Regeneration: Rate 4. Scav Chainsaw
The Scav Chainsaw was originally thought to be a one
off. The legendary Scav known as Mr Chainsaw was for the
longest time the only Scav to be seen with such a hideously
oversized weapon. This was an apparent prototype and now
Tugarin variants have been seen equipped with the new
weapon.
166
The Scav Chainsaw has been witnessed as a cybernetic Scav AutoRifle Cost: NA
attachment and as a standalone melee weapon. The blade
though is not quite as big as the original, when mounted to Skill: Rifle Pistol
the elbow joint of a mechanical prosthesis the chainsaw is DMG Min DMG AD Weight
more than capable of honouring the legend of its progenitor. 1d10+2 4 1 2
Scav Chainsaw Cost: NA
Skill: Melee Weapon 1/3 0/1 160m 30 N/A
DMG Min DMG AD Weight Scav Combat Shotgun
2d10 8 4 3
The Scav Combat Shotgun is Vodyanoy’s answer to the
Dual Chainsaws: Some Tugarins have had pairs of these KPS Mangler, which is built to their own exacting standards.
weapons mounted on the elbows of cybernetic arms. It outpaces the SLA manufactured weapon firing at almost
This decreases STR and DEX by 2 and makes some twice the range with a magazine holding twice the shells.
activities all but impossible but increases damage to 3d10. There is considerable recoil, but the Scav physique is built
The One, the Only: Mr Chainsaw’s prototype to withstand it.
combination of chainsaw and angle grinder is a The Combat Shotgun is loaded with hand cut shells filled
much larger version of this weapon. It gains +2 to with ball bearings, shards of steel and ceramic fragments. If
Min DMG, AD and Weight and +5 to DMG. required, any 10 gauge shell can be housed in a snailshell
magazine and still fire.
RANGED WEAPONS The Combat Shotgun is one of the most effective and well
crafted weapons in the Vodyanoy arsenal and thus it is the
Scav AutoRifle
prefered weapon of the Leshy Pit Bosses.
While the Scav AutoRifles typically use the old Hotzone
Assault Rifle as their base the Scavs can salvage any assault
rifle and convert it to their needs. Mostly, the only thing left
by the time they’re done will be the gun’s furniture and even
then it has to be rescaled for their oversized hands. Scav’s
prefer consistency and uniformity in most things, probably
because they so seldom get it. A Scav AutoRifle must have
those values at the forefront of its design, regardless of how
kitbashed or unsightly they might seem.
Consistency means consistent rates of fire and consistent
range. Uniformity means 1 calibre, 10mm in this case. To get
these working the way the Scavs need such guns’ internals Scav Combat Shotgun Cost: NA
and barrels require a complete overhaul. They are rebuilt Skill: Rifle Pistol
around their ammo of choice, reinforced to accept their DMG Min DMG AD Weight
preferred powder load, limited to prevent waste and rebored.
1d10+4 5 4 2
Ultimately, If they didn’t rebuild it this way, they wouldn’t
trust it. ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost
3 1 45m 20 N/A
Scav Flamer
The Scav Flamer is a very simple but effective weapon.
It houses a tank of flammable and corrosive fuel, which
is pressurised and ejected from a reinforced hose. It has
existed for years as an industrial pipe burner, cleaning the
algae from the walls of sewers and Gauss Train tubes. Even
the simplest of armours on Mort can be made fireproof
so it really wasn’t considered a threat. The Scavs upgraded
the simple tool and transformed it into a deadly weapon
that incinerates Shivers and Cannibals alike with a hideous
chemical combination that the Cannibal Sector serves up
every time it rains.
167
Scav Pistol
Cobbled together from their usual combination of third
party weapons furniture with rechambered internals this
autopistol uses a slimline internal action that can be safely
housed in any 10mm pistol.
Its sturdy internal mechanism is more than the equal of
the FEN 603 but this is not the only change made to the
host pistol. A sturdy barrel weight is added to help control
the weapons rate of fire and the magazine is replaced with a
massive 20 rd single stack magazine.
Shooters who do not have the strength of a Scav often find
With the Sector providing more ammunition than the
that the pistol is poorly balanced but given that stronger
Scavs could ever use, it is only a matter of finding containers
shooters can use it as a sign of personal strength this has
that can cope with pressurisation and resist the corrosive
only cemented it as a collectors favourite.
fuel. Luckily, Sector 1 finds orbital quality fuel tanks in short
supply and only a few of these weapons can be made. Scav pistols are not strictly legal to possess as they consist
of unauthorised third party technology but this doesn’t stop
The smallest imperfection in the tank, for a stray bullet and
them entering the black market with Shivers trading them
the rig will breach, expelling heat activated corrosives which
for all manner of legal and not so legal perks when they
explode from the rupture.
come back from the Cannibal Sectors.
Scav Flamer Cost: NA

2d10-1 7 4 4
1 1 15m 12 N/A
Anyone hit by the Scav Flamer suffers the burning
condition. The Scav Flamer emits a 1m wide stream of
flame which is not stopped by it hitting a target. A roll
to hit is required against every target within the stream,
with an additional -1 modifier being applied to all dice
Scav Pistol Cost: 500u
for every other target that the stream has already passed.
Skill: Pistol
The Scav Flamer uses special flammable liquid
supplied in canisters as ammunition. DMG Min DMG AD Weight
1d10-2 3 1 1
Alternative ammo types may not be used in this weapon.
Called Shot - Fuel Pack: Targeting the Fuel pack of a
Scav Flamer requires an unbelievable success from the 3 1 60m 20 N/A
front, but is hit on an excellent success from the rear. The Scav Halt Pistol
Fuel pack has a PV 8 Resistance 10 but if the attack deals
damage to the tank then every character within 5m of The Scav Halt Pistol is one of the newest weapons to appear
the Flamer must roll 1d10+LUCK. Rolls of 6 or less will in the Vodyanoy arsenal. The Halt is a large, heavy duty
mean that the character is hit for the standard damage of revolver that is typically carried by Pit Bosses. The weapon
the Flamer. If any character is hit for damage the Scav is built to be carried by an individual of around 9 feet, so the
Flamer is destroyed. size of the grip and heavy recoil makes it practically unusable
by anyone other than Scavs, Stormers and Shaktars.
168
Scav Sniping Rifle

Looted from the ruins of the Central Outskirts, the
Lattice Tentpole manufactured 1212b model rifle failed
to make market share, but this wasn’t for a lack of trying.
With factory runs producing multiple long 12mm barrels
in preparation for a market push it was only a case of bad
timing that prevented the design from gaining traction.
When the Scavs found the stockpile they recognised the
manufacturing quality of the barrels, their suppressors and
the actions. The resulting rifle, though it has a longer cartridge
than the original design, seems and with the exception of
the usual scavenged furniture, is largely unchanged. Only a
Scav Halt Pistol Cost: NA master gunsmith, aware of both the original Lattice action
Skill: Pistol and Scav technology would spot the Scav customisations in
the action.
1d10+4 5 2 2
1 1 60m 6 N/A
Scav Shotgun
Just as the Scav Assault Rifles are commonly retrofitted
Hotzone Rifles, Scav Shotguns often use DN Puncher
Shotguns.
Puncher Shotguns never really got the chance to shine, Scav Sniping Rifle Cost: NA
when the Scavs seized the Dark Night facility where they Skill: Rifle
were being manufactured they prevented the first shipment
to Dark Night agents and the Downtown black market. DMG Min DMG AD Weight
Capturing the facility was a big win for the Scavs, they 2d10 7 2 2
obtained top of the line manufacturing technologies that
they could easily reconfigure to their own specifications.
1 1 750m 10 N/A
While the DN Puncher was a perfectly well designed
short barreled pump action firearm, the Scavs stretched Scav Ion Cannon
its magazine to house 8, 10 gauge shells and rebalanced it Cobbled together from Shaktarian Ion technology, the
for one handed use. Now it is given to stronger Scav door Scav Ion Cannon is a truly frightening close assault weapon
kickers or occasionally as an extra heavy sidearm to Leshys. system. Akin to a small Ion engine the Scav cannon pours
Scav Shotgun Cost: NA constant streams of energy for truly dramatic results.
Skill: Rifle Scav Ion Cannon Cost: NA
DMG Min DMG AD Weight Skill: Rifle
1d10+3 5 3 2 DMG Min DMG AD Weight
ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost 1d10+3 4 3 2
1 1 22m 8 N/A ROF Recoil Range Clip Clip Cost
3/10 0/2 300m 20 N/A

The Scav Ion Cannon loses power over distance. The
damage listed is for targets at long range. At Close
Range its DMG increases by +3 and its Min DMG
is doubled. When fired in pairs, (STR 6 minimum)
it rolls double damage on an Exceptional Success.
169
PLANET MORT FAUNA

“ You know, it’d be nice if there were something on this Hooves
planet that wasn’t, y’know, out to kill me? All the critters
on this world are fucking hideous; they’re all rabid killing DMG Min DMG AD
machines, how can so many of the these things be so big in the STR-1 1 1
sharp fang department? When Hooves are used to attack a prone
I’m serious, I killed a rat with a shovel with so many target the DMG increases to STR+3.
crooked teeth jutting out at all angles. I’d say I’d never seen
anything like it, but I have! All the fucking time! Literally Megafauna
everything looks like this! DMG Min DMG AD
I swear it’s like there’s someone out there that’s inventing 2d10 2 as DMG
these bastards and whoever it is clearly hates us!”
Creatures with the Megafauna skill are big enough to be
Shiver Pvt. Burns, BridgeHead ‘Green Hill’. a threat to even vehicles, whether by capsizing, ramming
or forcing them out of the air. On a successful hit the
SLA Industries’ Collateral threats come from all quarters, driver (pilot etc.) must make a Drive Skill Test with a
not only within the streets and apartments of Downtown, Difficulty equal to the DMG dealt by the creature.
not only the countless failed biogenetic experiments and
machines of war, but also from the effects of industry and Proboscis
disregard upon the natural fauna of many worlds. Skill: Unarmed Combat
As with everything, the fauna of Mort find themselves the DMG Min DMG AD
subject of numerous disturbing Threat Analysis files and if
more care and attention had been given over the centuries, STR 3 2
much of this could have been avoided. When charging, Min DMG and AD are doubled.
NEW NATURAL WEAPONS RULES Vicious Bite/Tusks X

DMG Min DMG AD
Acid STR+X 2 X/2
A character hit by Acid does not immediately take Vicious attacks follow all the rules of the
Damage. Instead they suffer its AD every combat round attack type named (Bite, Tusks etc.).
until the acid is neutralised or the armour’s Resistance
is reduced to zero. After the armour is reduced to zero Vicious attacks (Bite, Tusks etc.) are listed with
it is destroyed and the acid then deals min DMG to a number equal to X. X is added to STR to
the wearer every round until neutralised. Some Acids determine the DMG of the attack and X/2 (rounded
self-neutralise after a set number of rounds; where down) is added to AD. If unstated X is 0.
this is the case it will be noted in the Attack’s notes.
CARNIVOROUS PIGS
Horns
The Carnivorous Pig can be found in abundance in both
DMG Min DMG AD sewers of Downtown and ruins of the Cannibal Sectors,
Rushing-1 1 1 gorging on rotting corpses and lapping up foul water from
Horns can only be used as a part of a charge. If the target deep stagnant lakes. They have considerable stamina to
takes any damage from this attack and the attacker still stomach such unpleasantness, up to and including toxic
has movement available to them, the attacker continues waste like KZ-14 and yet remain standing.
to move past the defender without needing to break away. As a result, mutation among Carnivorous Pigs is very
common, yet the effects of contamination does not affect
170
P L A N E T M O RT FAU N A
Pigs in the same way as other species like Cannibals,

Humans and Carrien. KZ-14 just makes the Carnivorous
Pigs grow big.
All breeds of pig undergo physical disfigurement after
drinking toxins, but, the Hovin Rose, can grow to gargantuan
sizes. The exact reason why still remains a mystery.
There are a number of different breeds including the most
common Ledermine and the notable Hovin Rose:
Ledermine
When people think ‘Carnivorous Pig’, they’re thinking
Ledermine. The most common species of pig in the Cannibal
Sectors and still farmed across Mort in large numbers today.
The Sectors Ledermine can get very big, with some
examples exceeding what scientists had previously thought
physically possible. The Ledemines are pink and have little
obvious hair. When well fed they are fat, with layers of flab
wobbling as they run.
They can reproduce quickly and the sows are fiercely
protective of their young, which are commonly known as
Squealers.
Shivers consider them good eating and those stationed in
the BridgeHeads nickname them ‘Sewer Pork’ and will often
go hunting for Squealers in their downtime. It is important
to note that even a Squealer won’t be an easy hunt as most are
protected by an irate mother with massive jaws overstuffed
with sharp teeth and tusks, easily capable of biting straight
through a Frother’s neck, let alone that of a Neophron or
Ebonite.
Hovin Rose
While experts and aficionados claim that you can spot
the differences a mile off, to most people the Hovin Rose
looks just like a broader set Ledermine. Indeed, unlike its
more plentiful cousin the Rose is smaller, more passive and
according to Pig Fancier Monthly, generally held to be a
more adorable animal. Regrettably, the ‘Rose is no longer the
delightful pig of centuries past. Today it is most commonly
found in the Cannibal Sectors where its genetics occasionally
fall victim to KZ-14 exposure, making it more rabid-like and
occasionally causing it to grow to the horrifically-sized beast
known as a F.O.M.P.
Pickleton Mottle
Rare in Mort City, but fairly common in ‘Pig Town’, the
Pickleton Mottle is a piebald pig of naturally large size. It
sleeps a lot and is generally quite placid. It is particularly
notable due to the size of its tusks which it uses to defend
itself or battle for dominance and mating rights. Both the
male and female have these branched tusks, whilst the males
also have a distended and hardened skull.
They are notoriously difficult to kill, with incredibly dense
skulls making them all but impervious to head shots from
small calibre weapons. Trakaarian tourists are particularly
171
keen to hunt the Pickleton Mottle from a distance, whereas to be a problematic and increasingly hostile garment for the
many a Wraithen gains a level of kudos from killing the rich elite. The fad passed quickly and many of the piglets
breed using their Heartstopper blades. found themselves on the dinner table or set free, others
escaped into the vents and sewers in Uptown, with their
Steinburgher
owners secretly pleased to see the back of them.
“Shall we go out for a Burger tonight? A Burger Me burger
“Uptown had its own bullet tax for a while, but it was
or Big Smile…I’m paying!
paid in fingers and noses rather than Credits and Unis.
Burger Me it is then, but no fries, ok?” Oink, oink…haha!”
Fred Phillips, SLA Employee - FEN Jade McKye, Human Operative,
Munitions, Factory Supervisor. SCL 8.2, Squad ‘Lights’.
The dark grey or black hide of the Steinburgher marks In 915sd, the grown up Landorians, which are still relatively
them out from most other pig breeds, as does their fat- small, albeit not handbag size, have set up home below
marbled flesh which make great burgers. The rather famous Uptown. They are not common, and are elusive and very fast,
but unimaginative brand, Burger Me, attests to this. meaning very few know of their existence. They generally
Steinburghers are cleverer than most swine, but are subdued garner little interest as they are not as tasty as other breeds.
by a mix of sedatives and over feeding. They often fall prey to the rats and other sewer inhabitants
A week or so before they are due for slaughter the sedatives ensuring they haven’t become a pest. In the last few years
are removed from their diet for flavour improvement. This is a they have become a fad once more as Hunters attempt the
dangerous time for the farmer and locals as many undrugged Quintet.
Steinburghers have worked out how to escape and made a
break for freedom…this is when the game hunters arrive and Landorian Bullet
the Operatives are called in. STR DEX KNOW CONC
Notes: All the above Pig breeds use the stats found on 3 5 1 2
page 179 of SLA Industries Core Rulebook. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
The corebook bonus of +4 DMG and +2 AD can be 0 5 0 +5
simplified to Vicious Tusks 4 should the GM prefer.
Pigs come in all sorts of sizes and ages, to represent a
15 4 9
Sounder the GM may wish to modify the stats and skills
as appropriate. Skills
The following modifiers and special rules can be used for Athletics: 2 Detect: 2
the various pig breeds:
BREED STAT MODIFIERS SPECIAL RULES Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 2
Hovlin Rose -1 STR, +1 CHA
Equipment
Ledermine None
Teeth/Tusks, Armoured Hide (PV: 2, Resistance: 6).
Vicious Tusks 4,
Pickleton Motte Regeneration Rate 5, More than what you see?: Urban Legend suggests that
+6 PV on head shots. some Landorian Bullets may possess skills up to: Detect:
+1 KNOW, -1 COOL 3, Stealth: 2, Survival: 4 and/or Tracking: 4.
Steinburgher
+10 Hit Points The Pig Fanciers Magazine Quintet: Over the last
Landorian Bullet couple of years there has been a craze in the Hunting
community to get the Quintet.
A fad of the early 820sd era, many an executive’s spouse
carried a small, micro piglet around in their satchel or Hunters are tasked with killing one of each of the 5 breeds
handbag. These sentient accessories were the must-have of ‘gone-wild pigs’ and providing evidence of such to the
status symbol for a couple of seasons. magazine with at least one of each breed. Once this is
Available in a number of different colours and patterns, verified they receive a ‘Sow-On’ badge which marks their
the sandy-coloured piglet with a black saddle was the most achievement.
common. It wasn’t long before multiple reports of missing The Quintet has proven so popular that the magazine is
fingers, earlobes and even noses were being reported from contemplating widening it to other animal genera. They
the elite of Uptown. The Landorian micro pig was proving have also recently introduced the F.O.M.P badge.
172
F.O.M.P Dinner Time: When slain, all creatures within 200m

must make a Difficulty 5 COOL Test or become
“I fuckin’ hate the Cannibal Sector, me. It’ll take anything ravenously hungry. This can and does expose the food
- anything at all and make it 100% worse.” chain to KZ-14.
Pvt. Ecbert ‘Exactly’ Ackerly, BridgeHead Dunoon.
CANINES
All breeds of Carnivorous Pig undergo physical Man’s best friend has not been exempt from the wanton
disfigurement after drinking toxins and consuming drugs abandonment and cruelty of SLA Industries.
and the latest alteration occurring in the DNA of the species
is truly terrifying to behold. When Salvation Tower fell, canines were left to fend for
themselves in much the same way that the human populace
Back in 912sd. the massive Ledermine boar, affectionately was. Many of the dogs starved to death, others were killed for
known as Grunt, became infamous after killing and meat or killed by the bigger and better of their own kind. The
maiming countless SLA employees and Cannibal Sector strongest survived, bred and spawned more of themselves.
One denizens, but was nothing as compared to the mutant
Hovin Roses that are muscling their way into the Cannibal Before long packs of mongrel dogs with a loose hierarchy
Sectors. and familial ties began to hunt for food, for survival, for fun.
Everything was on the menu, from cockroach to Human,
These pigs are gargantuan with an attitude and temperament the packs could take down pretty much anything. Man’s best
to match. The exact reason the Roses are more susceptible friend became man’s best predator, in the Cannibal Sectors,
to this gigantism than other breeds is unknown, but various at least.
organisations, including Karma, are presently investigating.
In time the bonds between dogs and other species were
BridgeHead Shivers, the poets of Cannibal Sector One, reforged, mongrel pups were considered cute once more and
refer to these massive brutes as F.O.M.Ps, an abbreviation their canine instinct for pack mentality was exploitable.
of Fuck Off Massive Pigs: an accurate description which
is considered humorous until the chuckling individual is Shivers on the Sector Wall and later in BridgeHeads, began
staring right at one. feeding them again and the pups were gradually tamed.
BridgeHead Hounds have become a common sight and
F.O.M.P bring joy to their masters. They chase off vermin or seek
STR DEX KNOW CONC to consume them. They have a role to play in the Shiver
Organisation and are well rewarded in play and tinned food.
6 2 0 0
They are far less pretty than the breeds seen in Mort City,
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative but they are equally as loved and respected. Regrettably,
0 5 2 +3 as with everywhere else, some are wanted while others are
kicked and abandoned.
Ultimately, Canines are adaptable; they will contentedly
55 2 14
accept food, comfort and companionship from the Humans
Skills and other dominant species, but if that goes or is taken away
the BridgeHead Hound or pampered pooch is just as capable
of reverting back into a feral state.
Intimidation: 4 Tracking: 1 There is little difference between an abandoned pampered
Unarmed Combat: 2 pet, Downtown Stray or BridgeHead Hound, nothing that
an empty belly and a fight for survival won’t reveal.
Equipment
Operatives and Shivers are constantly reminded that when
Thick Hide (PV: 10, Resistance: 20), Vicious Tusks 4. they pet that pooch or shoot that mongrel…one could easily
Festering Mutation: So long as it hasn’t activated the be the other.
Raw Meat rule, every Combat round the F.O.M.P regains Sector Mongrel
1 Hit Point and makes 2 attacks.
The abandoned pets left to starve in the shadows of
Maw: The F.O.M.P’s bite is so large that it automatically Salvation Tower were forced to wander the ruins in much
inflicts a wound if it deals any damage at all. the same way as their owners.
Megafauna: See page 170. Over time, the various breeds have homogenised into a
Raw Meat: When reduced to 0 Hit Points the F.O.M.P feral population of malnourished but vicious canines. These
can spend 2 Luck to reset its Hit Points to 20 and PV to haggard beasts are now a far cry from the pets they once were
6. and are more likely to consider Sector Rangers and Shivers
as prey rather than the former master they once were.
173
Individually weak, packs are able to take down fully grown These scruffy and often well fed pups are happy to wander
boars and even an ill-prepared Operative Squad. They can the halls looking for someone to play with, but will fight
often be found following carnivorous pig sounders, preying alongside their masters when their domicile is threatened.
on the young, weak and injured.
Most Mongrels are wretched things; skinny and desperate. “Just remember that a ‘cute wee pup’ is just a Sector Mongrel
Whilst feral, they are not stupid; Mongrels will accept titbits with a full tummy and it could be carrying a killer virus.
and food morsels as though tributes and run off to eat it. It Shoot it - don’t pet it”
is worth noting that this tactic should be used with caution Shiver Pvt. Juanita ‘Sweet’Tate, Squad “Raymonde’s Raiders”.
as it can lead to setting an expectation, which if not fulfilled
in future encounters, will result in resentful aggression and Downtown Strays
subsequent attack.
The Downtown Districts are full of unwanted pets,
If there is one particular matter of concern with regards discarded by poverty stricken owners and in many cases the
Sector Mongrels it is in the number of diseases they can animal bit or bared its teeth one too many times.
carry. Bites and ticks from the canines have resulted in many
Other animals are simply the offspring of countless
hospitalisations and in extreme cases: death.
generations of roaming packs, having little contact with
BridgeHead Hounds sentient species and live on a diet of fallen food refuse, insects
In some cases, Shiver Units have been able to establish and if they are especially lucky: a decent sized Human cadaver.
transactional relationships with Mongrels, particularly when Unlike their cousins in the Cannibal Sectors, Downtown
they have been raised from birth, but unless the pup is a Shivers have no time for stray dogs and will typically shoot
third or fourth generation BridgeHead Hound, then these them on sight, as urban canines end up presenting as much
relationships are only ever built on an individual level. Should of a problem as Mort Rats.
the favoured Shiver ever disappear, the Mongrel with which
they have built the relationship will become despondent, Sector Mongrel
potentially aggressive and eventually leave the BridgeHead. STR DEX KNOW CONC
That said, BridgeHead Hounds in the third generation or 2 3 1 1
more are becoming more common.
0 2 0 +4
13 3 7
Skills
Stealth: 2 Tracking: 2
Unarmed Combat: 2
Equipment
Vicious Teeth (see page 170), Thick
Hide (PV: 1, Resistance: 6).
Distributed Alpha: When a Mongrel is in a pack of 5

or more it gains +1 COOL +1 KNOW and +1 rank in
each skill.
KV-14 Immunity: Sector Mongrels often show no visible
side effects from KV-14 exposure. Those that do rapidly
become KZ-Dogs (see page 183).
Canine Variants: Sector Mongrels share much in
common with both Downtown Strays and BridgeHead
Hounds. Sector Mongrels are tougher whilst Downtown
Strays tend to be meaner. Strays are more starved and
desperate, whereas Mongrels are more streetwise and
hardy. Both tend to carry more diseases and less weight
174
than BridgeHead Hounds who are far softer than both in

body and temperament.
Bridgehouse Hounds: use the Sector Mongerel stats but
have a KNOW of 0 and Unarmed Combat of 1.
Downtown Strays: use the Sector Mongerel stats but
have a STR 1 and INITIATIVE of +5.
FLESHWORM
“They’re just a part of the Sectors, man. Look, for the most
part, stay away from corpses and you’ll be fine. Well, till
they mutate, become truck-sized and learn to fly. Until that
blessed day, keep your armour tight, keep some Flush handy
and above all, keep your eyes open”
Corporal Rex Miller - Shiver Patrol
Unit 34. (Presently M.I.A).
Ambush predators reminiscent of a stumpy rotting tentacle,

Fleshworms have evolved to mimic the flesh of long dead
animals. They commonly prey on Carnivorous Pigs and
Carrien, often turning one prey animal into a lure for its next
meal. Burrowing deep inside the dead, they detect a target
looking for an easy meal as it starts to consume the carrion
remnants or even the Fleshworm itself.
The initial strike can extend the jaw length to half the
fleshworm’s overall body length and is powered by powerful
muscle contractions. Should this lightning strike find purchase,
the Fleshworm lifts itself out of its carcass lair, retracting its Fleshworm
primary mandible to replace them with a secondary set that
STR DEX KNOW CONC
injects its stomach content of digestive acid into the wound
and it dissolves its prey whilst it’s still alive. 2 2 1 1
Fleshworms defy easy classification. They share much in CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
common with insects and gastropods, but many of their 0 6 0 +3
features mimic slaughtered meat. There is some suspicion
that they are a biological weapon gone awry, but as their
presence predates the Salvation Tower collapse it is unclear 22 1 3
who would have deployed them.
Skills
One of the things that fuels conspiracy theories about
Detect: 2 Stealth: 2
the origins of these flatworms is the diversity of biological
measures they can deploy. They inject their digestive juices Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1
directly into prey through the use of a secondary mandible,
Equipment
similar to arachnids.
Mandibles, Acidic Venom.
Fleshworms grow a large nerveless mass of flabby tissue
that is presented as a sacrificial offering to lure prey, much Fearless: Fleshworms are immune to the effects of Fear.
like some lizards do to distract predators and they are
Morphyria: Fleshworms carry Morphyria
covered in clumps of wiry hair which is a mammalian trait.
The hairs function like tiny hypodermic needles when Acidic Juices: Every bite of the Fleshworm exposes the
brushed against, reminiscent of some stinging plants. These target to its acidic digestive juices. On a successful bite the
four characteristics should not be found in one organism, yet Fleshworm makes a free Unarmed Combat attack with
exist in the Fleshworm, allowing it to flourish in the hostile its Acidic Venom.
environment of the Cannibal Sectors. Ovum Bite: The bite of female Fleshworms often
Female Fleshworms are more deadly than their male implants their eggs into their victim.
counterparts in that they have learned to hang from elevated Acid: See Natural Weapons on page 170.
perches and drop down on their prey.
175
Fleshworm Eggs
TOXICANT: IR 8
VECTORS: FLESHWORM BITE
EFFECTS: Every day the character must
make an IR 9 test to avoid
slipping into a coma and being
incapacitated. (See SLA page 115).
PROGRESSION: After 1 day a large bubo will
form on the neck. After 1 week
the eggs hatch killing the host.
TREATMENT: Treatment Rating 7 - Application
of Flush (See SLA page 170)
or Treatment Rating 10.
Morphyria
TOXICANT: IR 10
VECTORS: CONTACT (Fleshworm hairs).
EFFECTS: -1 STR, -1 KNOW,
excessive sweating.
PROGRESSION: After 12 hours -2 STR and -1 DEX
permanently. Death within 15 mins.
TREATMENT: Treatment Rating 10 - Application
of Flush (See SLA page 170) After Finally, there are the Mossy Hermits which form
progression, 1d10 doses of Flush communities of up to eight individuals. The Greens are
is required to treat the infection. much more proactive and tend to pack hunt. There is even
suggestion of Mossies cornering and bringing down Mutant
PUDDLE HERMIT Carrien.
Found predominantly in the Lennox Territories, the Puddle Puddle Hermit

Hermit is a bloated looking arachnid with a dangerous acidic STR DEX KNOW CONC
spit. It lives a sedentary life, wallowing in the large ponds 1 2 0 0
and stagnant reservoirs often favoured by Lopers.
The Puddle Hermit will happily extend a short web to
anchor itself to the shoreline so that it can bob in the water 0 3 0 +2
gradually absorbing water chemicals and fermenting them Hit Points Closing Rushing
into ever more corrosive acid. 10 2 5
Puddle Hermits are patient hunters that will prey on
anything that comes too close and they aren’t particularly Skills
concerned with the prey animal’s size. Athletics: 1 Detect: 2
Aiming to initially startle and blind their prey, their acidic Stealth: 2 Spit: 4
sputum is more than capable of burning through armour
Unarmed Combat: 1
plating should it come in contact. As the prey is disintegrated
the Hermit lazily drags the corpse into the puddle where Equipment
they carve off meaty chunks with their mandibles and drink Chitin (PV: 5, Resistance: 14), Mandibles, Acid Spit.
the remains over time.
There are several subspecies of Puddle Hermit and although Spitter: The Puddle Hermit has a unique DEX skill Spit.
the distinctive feature is not how they hunt nor their chosen This is used to attack with its Acid Spit. Once a Puddle
habitat, but instead their level of sociability. The rarely seen Hermit locks on with its Mandibles (see SLA page 107)
Dapple Hermit, for example, is strictly a loner, only gathering it automatically hits with its Acid Spit and if killed while
to mate in a fervour that lasts for only a few minutes after locked on deals damage from Acid Spit one last time.
their spots reveal. The Bloodsoak Hermit mates for life and Simpler Acids: As an option the GM can average the
while they hunt independently, is never far from its mate. Acid to 2 DMG and 3 AD.
176
Acid Spit
Skill: Spit Support Weapon
1d10-2 4 5 0
1 0 10m N/A N/A
Acid: See page 170.
PIPE DWELLER
“I fucking love eating Dweller! Have you ever had it?
It’s bloody expensive and I don’t wanna think about how
it looks or what it eats. It’s fucking glorious. Save up your
credits and go to the best restaurant you can afford. You won’t
regret it. I’ve cut down on the drugs so I can save up quicker.
Actually thinking about doing some sideline work to get my
next feed in at Armstrong and Williams”
Edward Howell Moore, SLA Corporate SCL
9, Waller, Privik and Hutchinson Investments.
Through the ancient sewers of the Cannibal Sectors there
is an ecosystem all of its own. Most of the creatures living in
the subterranean tunnels avoid the surface and its predators
above in favour of safety in the darkness below. Although a
pipe to be devoured. Often below or around the entrance
sound evolutionary strategy, even this black sanctuary has
of their pipe, limbs can be scattered, these are diagnostic of
its predators, with the apex of which is known commonly as
the presence of a Pipe Dweller and are the result of the prey
Pipe Dweller.
being bigger than the pipe. The limbs are sheared off by the
A Dweller is a type of arthropod bearing a strong similarity
pipe entrance as the Dweller retreats to feed.
to a centipede. In the small cracks between sewer pipes and
In recent years it has been proposed that the Dwellers may
polluted soil, the Pipe Dwellers begin life as small blind
do this deliberately as such scatterings attract the likes of
things, with only a vestigial form of eyes. These frail creatures
Cannibal Pigs and Carrien. It is postulated that this ability
are more prey than predator, but they hunt each other and
to forgo complete gratification suggests a level of intelligence
other denizens of the undersurface by vibration, pinpointing
previously unsuspected, but equally it could well be lucky
movement with uncanny accuracy. As they approach
happenstance.
adulthood these pale, blind creatures are specifically known
as Murk Dwellers. Those that inhabit the outer pipes are It has recently been discovered that Pipe Dwellers, once
larger and more developed, having a keen infrared spectrum boiled and glazed in garlic butter can be served as an
vision, allowing them to use sight, as well as vibrations to exceptionally tasty meal and high end Uptown restaurants
locate their next meal. will pay a top cred for fresh Dwellers to put on their menus.
To compete with a Carrien or Cannibal, Pipe Dwellers must A fresh, ice packed Pipe Dweller will sell for 70 unis on the
grow in size and strength and become adept at camouflage Black Market, 40 creds to Uptown eateries and anything up
within the surrounding filth. When they strike out at such to 100 creds to the corporate diner who wants their Dweller
prey, they need to be quick, decisive and able to endure the specially prepared.
inevitable bite back. Many larger Pipe Dwellers carry scars Pipe Dweller
from their more formidable prey which harden to form an
STR DEX KNOW CONC
imitation of armour.
Pipe Dwellers are remarkable creatures, capable of striking 2 4 1 2
quickly and with precision. Their segmented bodies allow CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
them to coil and strike with explosive force. Many creatures, 0 5 0 +4
even those not caught in their mandibles, are stunned by the
ferocity of the attack. Once this happens their fate is sealed. Hit Points Closing Rushing
Unless the Dweller is immediately confronted, the victim, or 12 4 12
as much of the victim that will fit, will be dragged into the
177
Skills alive for days. If it has taken a prolonged period of time for a
brood to snare fresh prey the ArachnoStalkers seal the prey’s
Athletics: 2 Detect: 2 wounds with webbing in order to preserve it, leaving it lying
Stealth: 2 Unarmed Combat: 3 paralysed, partially devoured and bound in webbing until
blood loss, dehydration or shock finally take them.
Equipment
The only known creature that ArachnoStalkers won’t devour
Chitin (PV: 6, Resistance: 30), Mandibles, Claws. seem to be Pipe Dwellers, which are generally ignored when
trapped and left to either die or escape. It is probable that
We got a big one!: The Stats above are for a Pipe Dweller
the Pipe Dweller secretes pheromones which are abhorrent
approximately 2 metres in length. For every additional
to ArachnoStalkers.
metre in length STR should be increased by 1.
The silk and web of ArachnoStalkers has many hidden
ARACHNOSTALKER properties beyond their strength and durability, being
both see-through and hydrophobic. Many a victim has
ArachnoStalkers are a large, armoured genus of spider considered walking through shallow water as a way of
that while not originally indiginous to the Cannibal Sector avoiding the ArachnoStalker’s webs, only to discover that
have, since introduction, thrived and largely overtaken their in fact the webs continue below the surface of the water.
niche. At first glance, they look more like a spiked crab than The individual strands of ArachnoStalker webbing are not
a spider and only during dissection can it be discerned that particularly strong on their own but when combined with
the creatures are more Arachnid than Crustacea. local environmental elements and in multiple strands, the
Once ArachnoStalkers have trapped their prey in their webbing forms an almost invisible sticky layer of small,
webs, they await the prey’s exhaustion and then as a brood, fragile, self repairing fibre.
they close in and dissect. They do not simply wait for the It’s a slow win, where the loser often has no idea they were
victim to die, they seem to enjoy the screams of terror and battling for their life.
agony. No prey is off limits, once entangled in the copious
webbing, anything living and edible is fair game. The hungry ArachnoStalker
brood is capable of devouring even a Chargrin Stormer in a STR DEX KNOW CONC
mere matter of hours, though they prefer to keep their prey 2 2 0 0
CHA COOL LUCK INITIATIVE
0 5 0 +2
Hit Points CLOSING RUSHING
10 3 7
Skills
Unarmed Combat: 1
Equipment
Chitin (PV: 5 Resistance: 10), Mandibles, Claws.
Stalker Webbing: ArachnoStalkers lay a viscous, sticky

web across the floor of their lairs to ensnare their next meal.
Escaping the web requires a roll of 1d10+ STR against a
Difficulty of 7. In a combat round two such attempts can
be made, though if an attempt is made and the character
is not freed by the end of that round, an additional -1
penalty is applied to subsequent rolls to escape. The victim
can perform this roll as many times as they have ranks in
STR (so a character with STR 3 may make 3 attempts
to escape). After they have exhausted this many rolls, the
character suffers the Immobile condition and will require
the immediate assistance of another individual to escape
the web.
178
LOPER Equipment
Chitin (PV: 4 Resistance: 10), Proboscis.
These semi-aquatic monstrosities lie in wait, submerged
in deep bodies of water until their prey draws close. When Exsanguinate: If the Loper scores an excellent success on
in striking distance, the Loper burst from its pool, darting an attack it deals an additional 1d10-5 (min 0) damage
forward to impale their prey using their sharp, elongated which ignores armour.
proboscis. A fully grown Loper can drain a body of blood in
a matter of moments. ARROWHEAD COCKROACH
Lopers appear to be a highly mutagenic species with
reports of their breed with additional limbs and appendages Cockroaches are easily the most abundant fauna living in
with hollow breathing tubes. Some still retain vestigial wings and around Mort City and are particularly prevalent in the
but these are disappearing more and more with each new Cannibal Sectors where they form the main food source for
generation of Loper. many of the more common predators and scavengers. Lift
Many suspect that the Lopers were once engineered as a any rock or split any pipe and a score of them will dart away
precursor to the now abandoned Domino Dog project, but it in search of a new shadow to hide in.
is just as likely that this metamorphic nature is a side effect The most common strain in the sectors is the Arrowhead
of chemical or radioactive pollution. Indeed, while rumours Cockroach, named for their pronounced triangular shaped
persist they were not present before the fall of Salvation carapace. They are usually black or brown in colour and
Tower, it is very possible they are simply unrecognisable between 3-4 inches in length. They have a voracious appetite
from their original form. and will gnaw away at anything, digestible or not and spread
infection and disease in their saliva and droppings.
Loper
STR DEX KNOW CONC
4 5 0 0
CHA COOL LUCK INITIATIVE
0 5 0 +5
Hit Points CLOSING RUSHING
10 3 7
Skills
Skills
Unarmed Combat: 2
The cheesy stench of roach dung is indicative of a serious

infestation and can be discouraged using some herbal
remedies such as ‘Roachaway’ or hanging dried Dankweed
around the property.
In Downtown Districts the Arrowhead cockroach is
prevalent and notorious, so Exterminator Companies make
a roaring trade: once an infestation has been eradicated, the
vermin will creep back within weeks or months.
179
In recent years, the clever people in Moral Right have The Scent: Infected characters can, after the second day
discovered that the roaches can be a good cheap source of infection, recognise other infected characters even if
of nutrients for the people in the workhouses. With they show no signs of infection. The exact mechanism
careful preparation and a libreral amount of seasoning the that determines who is infected is unknown and has been
Arrowhead Cockroach can be made into rather palatable nicknamed ‘The Scent’ based on an old, now disproven,
paste. Those lucky enough to consume the cheesy product theory that they can smell each other’s infection.
say it is rather pleasant, especially when compared to their In many cases this allows for greater collaboration than
normal fair. would otherwise be expected from those exposed to KZ-
14 and it certainly seems like the infected will go out of
Note: Recently the discovery that chemical exposure can
their way not to attack fellow infected.
cause the carapace colours and patterns to shift in hue has
led to BridgeHead Shivers watching local roaches as an Unfortunately this is not entirely the case and it creates
early warning sign of a substantial external threat. a false sense of security amongst those supposedly
uninfected. Sector Mongrels, which can be infected
Arrowhead Cockroach without displaying obvious symptoms are not protected
STR DEX KNOW CONC by The Scent and many Sector Mutants predate on them
without hesitation.
0 6 0 0
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative KZ-14 Exposure - Inhalation
0 0 0 +6 TOXICANT: IR 7
Hit Points Closing Rushing VECTORS: Inhalation.
2 2 6 EFFECTS: Lose 1 Hit Point.
PROGRESSION: Every 15 minutes inhaling fumes the
Skills
character must make an additional
Detect: 1 Stealth: 2 IR 7 test. Once the character loses
Tracking: 1 Unarmed Combat: 1 3 Hit Points they count as having
come in physical contact with KV-14.
Equipment
TREATMENT Treatment Rating 7 Oxygenation
Chitin (PV: 6, Resistance: 30), Mandibles, Claws. for 30 minutes away from
the source of KV-14.
Carrier: When exposed to a Toxicant, Arrowhead
cockroaches resist its effects as if they had a STR of 8. KZ-14 Exposure - Skin Contact
They then add the Skin contact Vector to the toxicant and
TOXICANT: IR 7
pass it on if touched.
VECTORS: Contact.
KZ MUTANTS EFFECTS: Lose 1 Hit Point.
The standing water in the Cannibal Sectors is highly toxic, PROGRESSION: Every 15 minutes of contact the
driving both a high mutation and death rate in the Sector’s character must make an additional
denizens. The most active of the mutagens known as KZ- IR 7 test. Once the character
14, a short chain peptide. It is no coincidence that KZ-14 loses 3 Hit Points they count
is found in high concentrations around regions like Three as having Ingested KV-14.
Points and the V-Zone, where Sector Mutants and random TREATMENT: Treatment Rating 7 Cleanse
mutation is especially common. KZ-14 can pass through of contact site with clean
the cellular lipid bilayer that makes up the majority of living water and ultraviolet light.
things easily, binding itself to the DNA at random. When
the cell replicates, KZ-14 causes replication errors. Cancers KZ-14 Exposure - Ingestion
are the most likely outcome, but if reproductive cells are TOXICANT: IR 10
affected, viable mutations can be passed to progeny. VECTORS: Ingestion.
The well initiated may be able to identify the contaminant
EFFECTS: KNOW -1, lose 1 Hit Point.
by the sweet scent and taste KZ-14 produces. If contaminated
water is ingested, the body can also go into a form of shock
which induces a raised heart rate and endorphin rush. This
toxic high manifests in heightened senses, and a strange
sense of social neediness.
180
PROGRESSION: After 2 weeks -1 STR, -1 DEX, -1 The pollutant is, quite literally, lapped up by Cannibals,
CONC, -1 KNOW, -2 Hit Points, Pigs and Sector Mongrels as it has a sickly sweet smell and
all permanent. After progression a taste. They, like the first humans exposed to KZ-14, are
further IR 10 test is needed every completely unaware they are gulping down an extremely
day. Failure indicates that serious dangerous toxin.
mutation or death has occurred. Those infected by KZ-14 often undergo a horrifying
Treatment Rating 12 Surgical physical and mental transformation. The infected find
TREATMENT:
removal of tissue and growths. their bodies ravaged by tumorous outgrowths, twisting
Serious cases require specialist and mutating flesh and bone, whilst their minds slip into a
chemical therapy. Treatment perpetual psychotic and animalistic haze from which they
within the final 24 hours after can never recover.
progression is not possible. The hideous distortions increase dramatically over time
until the sufferer is barely recognisable as the person or
KZ-14 Exposure - Injection animal they once were. All that remains is the Sector Mutant
TOXICANT: IR 13 who exists for no other reason than to groan, drool, murder
and feast on the flesh of their prey.
VECTORS: Injection.
One interesting aspect of the Sector Mutants is they will
EFFECTS: KNOW -1, lose 3 Hit Points.
never attack each other or any other creature deeply infected
PROGRESSION: After 2 weeks -1 STR, -1 DEX, -1 by the KZ-14 containmate. In fact, they gather and roam
CONC, -1 KNOW, -2 Hit Points, about in packs to hunt for fresh meat.
all permanent. After progression a Large groups of wandering Sector Mutants (sometimes
further IR 10 test is needed every referred as Toxic Tides) pose a considerable threat to any
day. Failure indicates that serious faction residing in the Cannibal Sector. Mutants have only
mutation or death has occurred. the merest shred of self sentience and as a result they are
TREATMENT: Treatment Rating 12 Surgical driven by pure hunger and instinct. They do not possess
removal of tissue and growths. the basic concepts like self preservation or fear. They will
Serious cases require specialist throw themselves at Cannibal Clans and Carrien Claves
chemical therapy. Treatment with crooked elongated claws and fangs, stretched and
within the final 24 hours after strengthened by KZ-14 until they have suppressed and
progression is not possible. defeated their meal or every Mutant has died outright.
Sector Mutants Sector Mutants never retreat because death is not a familiar
concept to them.
“I hate these damn things. They aren’t singularily the In more recent years, there is evidence KZ-14 contaminate
deadliest threat we’re likely to encounter and they really pervades neglected regions of Downtown and the same
are as dumb as rocks. That’s the problem though, because disturbing mutations are displaying in those who have
if you’re out in the Lennox Territories and three Mutants unwittingly consumed toxic liquid from burst pipes and
are attacking you, they’ll stumble unconcerned into chain corrupted water tanks. At present, however, the infection is
weapons and Reaper bullets, it doesn’t matter; they just keep more commonly encountered in stray dogs and Dregs than
swinging. Then it’s three more, then six, then twenty fucking the sentient populace.
five. Your Stormer’s mowing ‘em down, but still they pile in. Operatives and Shivers who have sustained injuries at the
No matter how well kitted out you think you are, the Sector hands of Sector Mutants must seek immediate medical
Mutant is determined to display its deadly and moronic treatment as they have almost certainly been exposed to the
tendencies all at once, it really is. Never actively pick up a toxin themselves and it is only a matter of time before they
fight with them. It’s a waste of bullets.” suffer the symptoms and disfigurements of KZ-14.
Gnorrie Jacobs, Human Operative, Sector Mutants seem to be predominately former
SCL 7b, Squad ‘Death Biscuit’. Cannibals, but the recent influx of KZ-14 into the city will
likely result in the other humanoid species (Human, Frother,
Sector Mutants were first observed in the Cannibal Sectors Dregs) being affected. What is yet to be seen is if the likes
in the years after the collapse of Salvation Tower. Desperate of Shaktars, Ebonites and even Neophrons can be affected
inhabitants who drank from standing water pools and in the same way.
inlet streams mutated in very similar ways. Investigation
What the end results of such mutations could be will be
uncovered that the water bodies were heavily laced with a
interesting to say the least and quite possibly devastating to
short amino chain known as KZ-14 contaminate.
the local infrastructure.
181
Sector Mutant KZ Dogs

STR DEX KNOW CONC “Oh fucking great! Sector Mutants, but faster, with bigger
5 3 1 1 teeth.”
CHA COOL LUCK Initiative Gnorrie Jacobs, Human Operative,
0 6 0 +6 SCL 7b, Squad ‘Death Biscuit’.
Hit Points Closing Rushing KZ Dogs are now an increasing problem in Downtown.
22 2 6 When Canines lap up the KZ contaminated waters from the
leaking pipes and puddles of Mort City, they are affected and
Skills distorted in much the same way civilians are.
Athletics: 3 Climbing: 2 Being strays, they are also annexed from civil society, finding
Detect: 2 Stealth: 2 their homes in disused apartment blocks and abandoned
Survival: 4 Tracking: 2 tunnels, where the infection can go unchecked and fester.
Unarmed Combat: 4 In a shockingly swift amount of time these stray dogs take
on the hideous distorted physical traits common to bipedal
Equipment Sector Mutants. Their fur falls away, their lips peels back and
Thick Hide (PV: 4, Resistance: 12), their bare flanks and faces are ravaged by tumorous growths
Vicious Teeth/Claws 3. and twisted hardened flesh.
As with the more common Sector Mutants, KZ Dogs
Disturbing Mutations: Sector Mutants get a +1 bonus are reduced to mindless raging monstrosities and they will
on Intimidation Skill Tests. attack any threat or passer-by without hesitation.
The Scent: Sector Mutants can recognise most KZ KZ Dogs are much faster and stronger than the relatively
infected creatures (see page 180). conventional dogs in Mort City. They bite deeper with
Regeneration Rate: 1. saliva saturated in KZ-14 contaminate. Any Operative
who receives a bite or scratch wound from a KZ Dog must
seek immediate medical attention and purge any chance of
infection.
182
KZ Dog SKULKER
STR DEX KNOW CONC
5 3 0 1 “Everything about Skulkers freak me the fuck out. Try to
imagine a cockroach as big as a large dog, with the brain of
CHA COOL LUCK INITIATIVE a Serial Killer. I’m serious, those things have got smarts and
0 7 0 +6 they won’t come at you unless they reckon they have a chance
Hit Points CLOSING RUSHING of taking you down.
15 4 9 One night our squad finished a BPN real late and chose to
crash in a hotel before heading back up top. This place was a
Skills real rat hole, but fuck it, the joint was cheap and we were
Athletics: 2 Detect: 3 knackered.
Stealth: 2 Tracking: 1 I had to share a room with Ralph Wilson, the Human Op
in the squad. He’d had a few beers and he had just enough
Unarmed Combat: 3 time to strip off his MAL Armour, then he’s out for the count.
Equipment Two hours later I woke to hear this horrible chewing sound.
Thick Hide (PV: 4, Resistance: 12), Vicious Teeth 3. I flick on the bedside light and I look across at Ralph and
there’s this massive Skulker on top of him.
Poisoned Bite: Attacks with its bite can deliver KZ-14 as It’s chewed off most of his calf muscle and now it’s staring
if injected (See page 180). at me. It’s frozen for a moment, but the second I go for my
The Scent: KZ Dogs can recognise most KZ infected gun it bounds off Ralph and scurries under his bed.
creatures (see page 180). Ralph wakes up, takes one look at what’s left of his leg and
starts wailing. I tell you though, he was screaming worse
when the Skulker’s anaesthetic saliva wore off.
183
Anyway, the bastard thing had a hole under Ralph’s bed They won’t pose a great threat to a fully protected and alert
where it could creep up from. It’d been waiting til we were Operative or Shiver, but a Skulker would not dare attack
exposed and asleep before it made its move. I sleep light and either when they were fully conscious. They will watch
somehow it knew that, so who knows how long it’d been quietly and wait until the armour has been removed and
watching us. their prey is asleep and preferably alone.
When it froze up I don’t reckon it was scared, I think it was Skulkers are exceptionally sneaky and they can patiently
figuring out if it could take me or not. But the moment it saw and deftly approach a resting target without making a sound.
the gun coming out, it scarpered. Once they begin to feed, they secrete numbing saliva into
Look, I’m a Wraithen, okay? But Skulkers gives me the the open wound ensuring the victim is not painfully woken
chills.” when the Skulker begins feasting, this anaesthetic fluid has
earned Skulkers another crude nickname - Roach Surgeons.
Trath Veeq, Wraithen Operative,
SCL9b Squad: ‘Rat Bastards’. Skulker
Skulkers are a recent addition to the Threat Analysis files. STR DEX KNOW CONC
Their exact origins remain a bit of a mystery and although 4 5 3 3
they bear all the markings of an insect, certain aspects of CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
their behaviour and method suggests something bordering
on sentient, leading experts to suggest the species may have 3 6 0 +8
closer connections to Dream Entities. Hit Points Closing Rushing
A Skulker is a disturbing, opportunistic predator that 20 3 6
can now be found spread across the darker recesses of
Downtown. It is a cockroach the size of a Downtown Stray, Skills
with an animal cunning on par with that of a Carrien.
It is pale grey or white in colouration with an unpleasant
musty smelling waxy sheen, offset with shining crimson eyes. Detect: 4 Stealth: 4
Unless attacking, the Skulker stands utterly motionless, with Unarmed Combat: 4
nothing but its long antennae sweeping back and forth.
Equipment
Most disturbing of all is that unlike any other insect
species, the Skulker breathes through rudimentary lungs, so Mandibles.
if the victim listens very closely they can hear the horrible
Elusive: The Skulker can take an auxiliary action each
creature faintly inhale and exhale in the darkness as it waits
round to hide, even if it is being observed. The difficulty of
on its prey.
this test is equal to twice the highest skill bonus in Detect
As opposed to many of the more outwardly aggressive (CONC) of the characters observing it.
insect species on Mort, the Skulker chooses not to attack
Roach Surgeon: For 15 minutes after being bitten the
directly, unless the victim is very young, very old or clearly
character will not feel any pain from the bite. This often
infirm. It prefers easy prey that can’t fight back.
masks the extent of the injury. 15 minutes after the
Not too many Operatives have had encounters with encounter, if bitten, roll 1d10-5 and lose this many Hit
Skulkers, but those that have, have expressed utter revulsion Points. Recognising a Roach Surgeon is attacking you as
towards the ghastly things, which is on par with the disgust you sleep requires a Simple Detect (CONC) Skill Test
felt for the Cannibal Sector’s Fleshworm. with a -10 penalty. Every round you’re attacked, this
penalty decreases by 1.
LOWER DOWNTOWN HAGFISH
“What makes these horrid things so dangerous is not so

much themselves but their location. You just don’t want to be
stuck in Lower Downtown with a leg that’s been broken by
a hungry Hagfish.
It’s a long way from a good medical facility.
I hate Hagfish because as an Ebon with Healing Ebb skills
I keep getting roped into BPNs that go into Districts 8-11
and it’s because of Hagfish. I keep telling the SCL 10ers to
184
stay out of the shallow waters, but they never listen and that those dressed in lesser or damaged suits. Their toothy pads
snapping sound rings out and the screaming begins.” are little use against the armoured plates but they will worry
RainRose, SCL 7, Ebon Operative, away at the lighter material in the joints and gaps between
Squad- ‘Dusty Lavender’. plates.
Hagfish are a recent discovery by Operatives and seem Lower Downtown Hagfish
to be exclusive to the Lower Downtown Districts. Threat STR DEX KNOW CONC
Analysis has difficulty classifying this odd predatory species 3 3 0 0
beyond the fact they are apparently some sort of fish.
They inhabit cold lightless regions, submerged in murky
standing water, waiting for unwitting prey to ensnare. 0 5 0 +4
Hagfish feed chiefly on other fauna like Carnivorous Pigs, Hit Points Closing Rushing
Downtown Strays and Mort Rats, but they have a liking for 12 3 5
Human flesh and hungrily pull down any Dregs they can
get hold of. Skills
Hagfish attack their victims by clasping onto an exposed Swimming: 4 Detect: 1
limb and then apply enormous pressure until the bone breaks Stealth: 2 Unarmed Combat: 4
or the joint dislocates, incapacitating the meal. Hagfish often
live in large shoals and once one has ensnared the prey, others Equipment
latch on quickly and help drag it into the depths to drown. Slimy Skin (PV 2, Resistance 6), Mandibles.
Once the captive has expired the Hagfish burrow inside the
cadaver and eat it from the inside out, leaving nothing but Slime: When the Hagfish rolls an exceptional success on
rasped clean bones. a Skill Test, it excretes slime and restores its Resistance
Hagfish do not not have jaws, but instead two fleshy pads to full.
lined with rows of incurving teeth, which they use to scratch Pack Hunter: When Hagfish attack in a school, their bite
across flesh and suck the grazed meat into their gullets. gains +1 damage for every 3 Hagfish attacking the same
Naturally, Hagfish will struggle to take down Operatives target.
in premium level powered armour, but can pose a threat to Bottom Dweller: Any wounds inflicted by the Hagfish
automatically affect the legs of a character before affecting
any other location.
GNAGGOT
“If you see weird shit going down in Downtown I bet my

beer on it being either a Dream Entity, or some crazy ass
beast those Contract Hunters dumped in the streets before
pissing off back to the stars. I know this time that it’s the
latter, because I saw these ugly fuckers on the Gorezone about
3 months back.
King Pistols is about to give Blackblade a Blitzer enema
in the Southbay Shopping Centre, when all of a sudden
the arcade’s buzzing with these damn things. They can’t get
through these guys’ armour straight off, but they took down
a few of the rabble.
That poor newbie, what’s her name? She had GA
sponsorship: Shelly The Shock. Yeah, she was only in Body
Blocker and eight of them Hunchbacks dragged her to the
floor and began ripping into her.
Pity, I reckon she was going to go far.”
Gord Blashfield, Proprietor at ‘Fat Gord’s
Pudding Shack’, Inner Downtown, District: 2.
185
The Gnaggot, or as it is more commonly known, the blooms, but many of the stationed Shivers do not know what
‘Hunchback’, is a species of fauna formerly exclusive they are for let alone how to use the tri-barrel Power Reaper.
to Cannibal Sector 2. The Shivers along the Wall there It is to be recommended that these weapons get
consider them insects, as they are capable of flight, but the recommissioned quickly and potentially some are installed
species originates from the same genus as the Fleshworm. on Battle Taxis and Crawlers for use in the city.
Gnaggots look like a grossly bloated maggot held tenuously
in the air by thin, tatty membranous wings. They have Gnaggot
rows of ruddy coloured, chitinous legs dangling from the STR DEX KNOW CONC
underside. Their most noticeable features and from which
their nickname is derived, is the bulbous mass protruding 1 4 0 0
from the back, giving Gnaggots a perpetual stooped posture. CHA COOL LUCK Initiative
They copulate ferociously and spawn a multitude of greasy 0 3 0 +4
offspring in a disturbing short span of time.
The males secrete copious amounts of pheromone which
has an obnoxious migraine inducing stench. This deeply 6 3 8
unpleasant and bitter scent hangs in the air, inducing a want Skills
to vomit.
Detect: 1 Stealth: 2
Gnaggot swarms of eight to ten individuals fly directly
at their enemies, slamming the target with their full body Unarmed Combat: 1 Stealth: 4
weight in an attempt to knock them off balance and en Equipment
masse they have considerable strength.
Mandibles, Pheromones.
Individually they can pierce Body Blocker armour, inflicting
wounds with claws and mandibles laced with Morphyria - a Morphyria infection: See page 176.
disease common to their genus of Gastropod. Death by 1000 cuts: Small creatures such as Gnaggots
Gnaggot swarms lie dormant underground for periods of can bypass unsealed armour such as CAF Vests or Body
10-15 years, until a right hatching climate occurs, then they Blocker Armour and can ignore the PV for thick skin.
burst from the earth in their thousands. They were overdue, Pheromones: The Gnaggots emit a rank bitter stench.
but Hunchbacks are presently becoming a worryingly This distraction causes a -1 penalty on Skill Tests unless
common sight along the Cannibal Sector 2 Wall. Some of the character has access to an air purification system,
the older Sector Wall sections may have disused and often similar to that found in Dogeybone Armour (see SLA
derelict Gnaggot Fire Cannons’ installed years ago for these page 161)
DREG
The Dregs have extensive files on the Threat Analysis
database, but as a category they are not considered an actual
‘threat’.
Dregs are quite simply civilians in the lower depths of Mort
City who have lost all sense of civilization and self sentience.
They are entirely Human as a category but have only animal
levels of mental and emotional IQ. The database describes
Dregs (a cruel nickname dubbed by the first Shivers to
encounter them) as isolated tribes, but their condition is not
a recent mishap. They were not accidentally trapped or exiled
from Downtown society, they are merely a subset of the
Human species who fell away from society, very gradually.
Bit by bit, they regressed into little more than another sad
entry in Mort’s fauna. There have been countless generations
and Threat Analysis surmise that Dregs may have first
occurred as far back as the Great Downturn.
Dregs have not evolved and flourished, unlike their
distant cousins in the Cannibal Sectors, who were similarly
abandoned and neglected by SLA Industries, but pulled
through and prospered. Most Dregs are completely naked,
186
coated in dirt and grease. They cannot speak; but can utter a SLA Industries is still at a loss as to what to do with the
narrow and rudimentary version of Void. They cannot walk Dregs. Most are only encountered by Operative Squads
upright and simply stumble around on their hands and knees. journeying into deeper levels, but there have been a few
Dregs survive on a meagre diet of Arrowhead Cockroaches, sightings of their pitiful colonies around the borders of Inner
dead Mort Rats and occasionally and by necessity, their own and Lower Downtown.
deceased. They are quite fearful creatures and will even flee It’s believed that they may have been driven upwards in
from an innocuous torch beam. fear of Shi’An hunting parties. Some Operatives have
Upon first discovery a number of Op squads were assigned been assigned to simply gun them down, which has been
BPNs to capture and ferry specimens up to Mort Central a troubling and contentious order for many, particularly
for study and examination. Some of the earliest returning Neophrons, Shaktars and Ebons.
Naga 7 experts completed thorough research into the captive Most Downtown hardened Operatives believe this to be a
Dregs. step too far, yet the gruesome policy remains in place.
“May I start by saying that Shivers having any right to Dreg

deem any other living being a ‘Dreg’ is the height of irony, STR DEX KNOW CONC
but I digress.
1-2 2 0 0-1
The Dreg, as they put it, is indeed Human. I apologise for
this rather obvious assessment but we feared that the species
may be some strain of Dream Entity and that in itself could 0 0 0 +3
be quite catastrophic. Hit Points Closing Rushing
Again, I digress. 12 2 4
Of the 3 captives, 2 have sadly passed away. The cause of
death was cardiac arrest. We believe the Dreg cannot cope Skills
with the dramatic shift in environs. Both deceased Dregs Detect: 1 Stealth: 1
were in their early thirties, so age and health is not an
immediate factor. The surviving Dreg is currently alive and Equipment
stable in an artificial environment we created to mimic her None.
natural habitat.
For three months we have tried to civilise the remaining
Dreg. We have tried placing a variety of toys and artefacts
in her enclosure to see if we could provoke a response but all
she has been receptive to is the supply of basic food and water.
If I may be blunt, we’ve had more successful trials with
laboratory Killian Browns. I’d go as far as to suggest we’d
have more favourable results from an Arrowhead Cockroach.
In Mort City, every being has a spatial allotted place within
the unspoken hierarchy. That goes from Departmental Heads
of SLA all the way down to the Carnivorous Pig chewing on
a bone in a sewer pipe. The Dregs are aptly named; they are
the lowest rung in Mort’s food chain. That said, they present
a risk as Dregs provide a valuable resource to our numerous
adversaries.
Easily accessible blood banks for the Shi’An. A quick
defenceless meal for an opportunistic Carrien. Play things
for sects of subterranean Serial Killers. They are simply there
for the taking.
The only Dregs one could conceivably rehabilitate are
newborn infants or at a push, possibly within the toddler age
bracket. The rest cannot be saved.
Naga 7 Division advises you not to even try.”
Doctor Alexander Maxwell (4th
Head, Naga 7 – Authority).
187
NAGA 7 DIVISION
“Good morning, class. You may all enjoy a brief moment of was that Naga 7 Division members had been enlisted to
pride: you have proven yourselves worthy of an education ‘examine, assess and resolve issues and anomalies within the
upon the hallowed grounds of the Blackwood Institute World of Progress’.
whereupon you will spend the next five years learning how There was no clear definition as to what such ‘issues and
best to serve the seven heads of the Naga. anomalies’ were exactly, but knowing the defensive nature of
And now that moment of self aggrandising is over. You SLA Industries and its brutal approach in dealing with the
have gone from special, to a literal nothing and it is my duty, more inquisitive minds, most felt it best to just leave such
along with the rest of the Blackwood faculty, to transform deeper questions well alone.
you into something again. The first members of the Naga 7 to appear in the periphery
Something of value. of Operatives’ lives were the Aethernauts. Specialists and
Let me start by expressing what you are not. You are not researchers in the field of Dream Entities, these amiable and
Operatives and by that I mean you are not oafs. At least, I supportive observers were largely welcomed, as they rarely
hope you are not. Nor, are you Corporates and by that I mean interfered with the broader aspects of Operative work and
you are not intellectual retards who think monetary gain is they proved invaluable in dealing with these esoteric threats.
representative of true power. In more recent years, other personnel from different Naga
Like Mr Slayer himself, we at Naga 7 are beyond the Heads are now entering the Operative arena and have not
trivial, beyond the temporal. We seek lasting value and that been quite so affable, helpful, or forthcoming. Naturally,
can only be found through the accumulation of knowledge. Operatives have grown increasingly more irritated by this
sudden intrusion, with arrogant and pushy members of the
As you enter through the gates of the Blackwood Institute
Naga’s 1st Head in particular - the Field Agents, interpolated
you will see our motto inscribed in stone - “Nostrum Est
into their squads and immediately taking to bossing them
Negotium Ut Scire”.
around.
Translated? You there, third row, in the middle?
Most disgruntled Operatives view these characters as
Correct. “It is our business to know.” interlopers, who have not yet earned the right to hold such
Lecturer Victor Wilbur Zouch, 2nd unprecedented jurisdiction, but in reality, the Naga society
Head, Blackwood Institute dates back to the birth of SLA Industries, predating most
of the important departments, including Cloak Division
and Stigmartyr. Today, as it was centuries before, the bond
RINGING BELL between SLA Industries and the Naga society is built out of
necessity and remains a strained one.
Naga 7 Division’s seemingly sudden arrival in SLA The Authority, the Department’s ruling body, has always
Industries came as a shock to many. The Division has been meddled too deeply into the affairs of the company and
shrouded in mystery and the subject of much consternation, the universe it has created. Only time will tell if the union
since this strange organisation was immediately granted high of these two sinister organisations snaps and if the Naga
position in the company’s corporate hierarchy and vast power will disappear into the hidden spaces to patiently watch as
and sway over the infrastructure that had remained largely Slayer’s vision descends into chaos once more.
unchanged for centuries. Everything about the Division was
obscure and secretive. Even their departmental insignia, that THE NAGA SOCIETY
of a seven headed serpent, bewildered outsiders, with no
explanation forthcoming as to what it represented.
“Gentlemen, I have gathered as much information as was
Most aspects pertaining to the inner workings of Naga 7 possible regarding the foundation upon which we now stand.
were and still are, heavily restricted to all but the highest
This universe, shall we say, deviates from the typical
ranking members of the company. The vague explanation
Builder’s delineation. Certain structural elements are in
eventually given to Operatives and Departmental staff alike
188
N AGA 7 D I V I S I O N
place, of course, the Barometer, for example. But I doubt that

this Slayer fellow is the Builder who governs all.
His eyes suggest he is a Guardian and we must further
explore the circumstances that lead to his seat in the Builder’s
chair and the extensive facial injuries he has received.
Naturally, this begs the question: where is the Builder? The
true inheritor of this realm? What led to the reality in which
we now reside?”
Professor Charles S. Finch, The Naga
Society - The Authority.
Naga 7 Division first entered employment at SLA Industries

in 15sd, during the period known as The Formation Era.
The Naga, as they were first known, were a secret society,
made up of researchers, scholars and professors in the fields
ranging from medicine, to archeology, to the occult.
The Conflict Era had recently ended and a whole new age
had begun. A new timeline was created and the World of
Progress was born.
Into this new universe of possibilities came certain
individuals, more curious than the average citizen, who
began to notice cracks in the fabric that bound reality
together. They embarked on quests to study the histories and
lore of what was, what had come before and found strange
artefacts and glaring inconsistencies.
They discovered a reality in its infancy, or so it seemed
and there was a gradual realisation that certain words and
declared truths had no logical foundation. Many explorers
veered too close to the dangers of such discoveries and found
themselves consumed by the first encounters with The Grey.
Yet there were a scant few who were not disturbed by their
own troubling findings, nor did The Grey take hold and
destroy them. Over time and in their travels these pragmatic
individuals stumbled across one another, entering into
metaphysical discussions, comparing theories and thus The
Naga society slowly took form.
Greed and ambition proved to be the downfall of various
society members; in their eagerness to find and learn more,
they were slowly tracked down and captured by the company.
Most thought they would be dead in a matter of hours of
being apprehended but SLA Industries had other plans for
their prying captives.
The skills accrued by the Society made them troublesome
but nonetheless invaluable in dealing with the cracks in
reality. The Black Chapter agents, the company’s finest, were
masters in warfare and assassinations but had no training or
even understanding what lay beneath the veneer. A whole
new organisation was clearly required to fill in the more
abstruse gaps in the company’s security.
SLA Industries was begrudgingly forced to recognise the
unique talents of the Naga Society, but that recognition
came with a brutal ultimatum: join SLA, or be annihilated.
189
The Naga Society, in turn, had no option but to accept The inlay sleeve cites the album’s manufacturer in the year
terms and say yes. They would lose their precious freedom, 1984, which I recall being mentioned as a significant year
but earn certain privileges that had been previously denied. in cross referenced files. It was also in circulation during the
They would no longer be forced to creep about undercover in Foundation era in Territory Zero, which is noteworthy.
Mort City and the World of Progress, searching for obscure Then again, this Riddle could be entirely random. Perhaps
items and forbidden knowledge, forever looking over their the Boss could shed some light on this artefact?”
shoulder.
Field Agent Seidman, Naga 7 Division,
The Naga did not seek out SLA Industries nor express any 1st Head, Mort City, 8sd.
desire to join its ranks; they were forcibly enlisted…
The crime had now become the binding contract with SLA The anomalies occurring in the World of Progress were the
and the society was going to stretch the boundaries of that most concealed of all SLA Industries’ secrets. They were the
contract for all it was worth. byproducts of a rushed and unstable universe and resulted
in breaks in logic and reality. The anomalies created sentient
BROKEN DREAMS beings called Dream Entities, although in the Formation Era
and the centuries leading up to the Age of Nightmares they
“Report to Catalogue, were little more than strange phenomena, without definition
or acknowledgement.
One of the Cast Offs has materialised in Central Outskirts,
in a civilian block on Gaskin Street. The object in question Nonetheless, an unchecked anomaly would expand and
was what is called a ‘Cassette Tape’. The musician on this self define over time and its influence and significance could
cassette is a gentleman called Nik Kershaw; an album called destabilise everyone and anything that came into contact
‘The Riddle’. Why is it that all these Cast Offs seem so apt? with it.
The cassette was discovered by a local derelict - Jacob To attempt any rational explanation of the abstract errors
Jensen, aged 56, whilst he was rummaging through some occurring only encouraged further disarray and so the Naga
trash cans. After a touch of research in our files they state that Society’s task would be long and arduous. It would be their
the cassette requires a tape recorder device to play this Riddle duty to analyse these faults cropping up in the World of
and of course Mr Jensen does not have such an item. He was, Progress and resolve or eliminate the problem.
however, able to spend several days scrutinising the object Much like SLA Industries itself Naga 7 found itself
and reading through the inlay sleeve, gradually subjecting lying in order to save the public from the deeper and more
untold harm on himself: examining the various lyrics, harmful truths. Lies came easily to the Division members; it
reading references to a different place and time. Elements was a tool they had always used to evade capture and con the
totally alien to an untrained mind. gullible but they realised the inherent dangers of employing
First reports: Mr Jensen had grown increasingly violent, so many cover ups - eventually the lie may come back on you.
attacking the tenants with a broken whiskey bottle and, as A common means of explanation, still used by the
reported: ‘babbling strange prose, incessantly.’ Aethernauts today is the John Hockey Theory, or simply
Upon my arrival at the scene, Mr Jensen had hidden abbreviated to JHT. A vast number of names, titles and
himself away in an alley behind Gaskin Street and was descriptors are derived from Territory Zero with little to no
already experiencing the symptoms of Stage 2 Grey. He was context in the World of Progress. Few people ever question
repeating the lyrics from a song on the cassette: ‘ You Might’ the meaning of the word August, or Hockey Stick, they
which his subconscious had memorised and bore into him. subconsciously accept such words and phrases without
question or concern.
Interestingly, Jensen was able to sing the tune, despite
never having heard accompanying music. Curious. On occasion, however, an individual may come to ponder
the origin of a title or phrase, and once the thread of doubt
The influence of this Cast Off hadn’t spread, fortunately. I
is pulled, all else may quickly unravel. The end result is a
suspect the context was likely too esoteric to transfer to other
terminal dose of the Grey.
subjects, but Jensen was clearly in too deep to recover. He’d
already started to merge with a wall, with those same lyrics If Aethernauts can catch the illness early enough, they will
spreading out across the brick work. employ the JHT giving an off the cuff, made-up excuse to
explain the meaning of a word.
Not to worry, Jensen was euthanized with a simple 10 mil
round and I had commissioned 3rd Head Security to scorch John Hockey was the earliest known example cover story
the alley clean. for the Carrien’s preferred weapon of choice. Aethernauts
would clarify that the object was named after the inventor of
I have submitted brain samples of the subject to the 4th
the object - John Hockey.
Head and the Cast Off cassette tape to the 5th.
Much of Naga 7’s work, past and present, has been spent
Research should be performed on that Cast Off and
developing established and explainable truths and origins for
consider possible contexts for its sudden appearance on Mort.
unfathomable questions and baseless words.
190
“It can be simple, it can be convoluted, but all that really squeals like a frightened infant when activated, causing
matters is that the JHT is convincing. Trust me, the patient even Sector’s meanest fauna to flee in terror and confusion.
doesn’t want the real truth: it’s the reason they caught the In broad terms the Scarab has limited applications but
Grey in the first place. if I can obtain more information from Catalogue’s files
They want a lie, even a bad one. on Bybelan it may unlock other hidden properties; such as
They just want to know it’s all going to be okay and they creating slaves out of the Bagh people.
don’t have to worry about the Territory Zero references that Besides, I may have a BPN coming up which may uncover
are laced throughout our day to day lives.” something more interesting and it’s buried out there in the
Aethernaut Warrington, Naga 7 Division, 5th Head. NorthWest Compact. I’m sure the Scarab will come in handy,
don’t you think?”
All SLA Industries has ever sought was for these issues to Field Agent Daniel Gould, 1st Head, Naga 7 Division.
simply go away; it was still the early years of the Formation
Era and if Naga 7 Division had simply performed its duties
faithfully and diligently there was sincere hope that things HISTORY OF NAGA 7 DIVISION
would improve over time.
These obstacles persisted, however, because both SLA With the new deal set in place, the original members of
Industries and Naga 7’s inherent selfishness prevented the Naga Society would assume leadership of the seven
the dilemma from ever being sufficiently resolved. SLA specialised aspects of research and after their inclusion within
Industries failed to acknowledge the essence of the problem, SLA Industries they would be referred to as The Authority.
or consider the people it affected; all that mattered was the Naga 7 Division went to work, dispatching Aethernauts
protection of Head Office and its future profits. into Central Outskirts to uncover irregularities in the fabric
Naga 7 Division, however, was given unprecedented power of reality and either seal or resolve them and countless Field
and control in order to perform their duties effectively but Agents across the World of Progress in search of more
the highest elected officials used the anomalies to increase interesting anomalies and precious Cast Offs connected to
their wealth and influence. the Outer Territories.
Through the study of the Outer Territories and the During the Formation period, these abnormalities, while
processes that built them, The Authority found means frequent, were of a small enough scale as to be manageable,
to grant themselves abnormally long lifespans and their but when the Cast Off or disturbance was triggered by the
understanding of truth gained defence against mundane influence of Territory Zero the region under attack could
physical attack. Only those with an equal or greater awareness often not be recovered, those Aethernauts assigned to the
of the Territories beyond known reality could be frightened anomaly were forced to codify them as Grey Zones.
or challenge them. SLA Industries adopted a brutal approach to the Grey
Zones, immediately sending in Operatives to exterminate
“I was assigned to resolve an anomaly on planet Sittarn; the residents of the location and close it off completely.
logging firms operating in the Ved Delta had come under
attack by Bagh rebels fighters exhibiting what Catalogue “Brick Ups are some of the stranger, less common things you
described as ‘facial mutations’. That’s a restrained manner of encounter when travelling through some of the oldest regions
saying they had mandibles. of Cannibal Sector 1.
They were shot down by SLA Operatives sent to protect ‘Brick Up’ is loose term for blocked off or cemented in
the logging teams and they reported that the rebels ‘dissolved buildings, dating all the way back to the Formation Era.
into black puddles’ upon death. So, of course, this data arrives It took us a long time to figure out what actually brought
on Naga 7’s doorstep for review. them about and Head Office certainly wouldn’t tell us. It
I spent several weeks in the neighbouring rainforests was only when we skirted the edges of Three Points that we
and tracked the anomaly back to an altar of Felltabnus: a found a Brick Up with an ancient Grey Zone warning sign
beautiful black scarab gem nestled among the moss covered debossed into the decaying cement wall.
rocks, no bigger than your fist but containing such power. It was just how they dealt with the problem back then,
So rare to source a Cast Off from Bybelan, most of the Cast even before the Age of Nightmares, the issue was already
Offs I’ve found originate from Territory Zero. This was my there in its rawest form and the best resolution was to wall
first finding from Territory 5 and no, I did not resubmit the off the problem.
Scarab to Catalogue, not yet anyway... I try not to think of Brick Ups as being oversized Dream
I managed to fob them off with another lesser trinket and Sacs and that there could be Entities trapped within those
filed all the necessary paperwork. Yes, I took a risk but why prisons and have been growing over the centuries, waiting
should The Authority have all the fun? The Felltabnus Scarab for a means of escape.
191
It wasn’t too great a concern if you simply left them alone,

but then the Bellwood Campaign commenced and SLA
SINISTER RESEARCH
reentered the Sector in earnest. It won’t be long before these The Authority’s inherent narcissism was not unknown
Brick Ups crumble and finally give up their contents.” to SLA Industries, particularly in Head Office. The Naga
Sector Ranger James ‘Two Thumbs’ Society was effectively conscripted into service to SLA
McCoy, Squad 747b ‘Monkey Farm’. Industries and had no loyalty nor felt any obligation towards
the company. They were admittedly deceitful and from the
Naga 7’s work in maintaining a restabilised Territory was moment they were enlisted to SLA, the company had them
exemplary. Years of study and experience had enabled them watched.
to assess an anomaly, recognise the error and resolve it The communiques sent back to Head Office stated that
without risk of contracting The Grey. the Authority had begun research into White Earth and the
The true problem SLA Industries was now encountering entity known as Bitterness. This channel of study was not
was Naga 7’s innate self-serving natures, alongside their authorised by SLA Industries despite a vague interest in the
underlying agenda, which was to accrue as much knowledge distant world at the tail end of the Conflict Era.
and power as possible outside of company policy. The earliest researches into the subject scared off many
Too many Naga 7 personnel, particularly those of the Naga 7 staff, as they felt similar concerns as the Neophrons,
1st Head were using the Cast Off artefacts and anomalies in that there were two clear factions in conflict within the
for their own ends, only serving to create further reality World of Progress - there was SLA Industries and there was
aberrations. White Earth and it was up to the individual with regards to
The 6th Head’s Aethernauts struggled with the conduct whom they would side.
of the other Heads. They were trying to resolve the issues Of the two evils, SLA Industries was favoured by both
occurring in the World Of Progress, but all efforts seemed because in spite of the company’s size and corruption, there
futile when their fellow experts were flagrantly using their was still hope that some good could be found and encouraged
position to further their own personal schemes. from within. With regards to Bitterness, however, the
Once they received rumours about the 1st Head’s attempt consideration was based solely on an individual and as more
to conduct further research into the White Earth phenomena information was gleaned about the ruler of White Earth, his
they knew exactly what the real intentions were; the 1st back history and his origins, his appointed station and the
Head was not seeking to study and suppress Bitterness, they terrible mistakes that had brought him into being in Territory
were floating the idea of a secret alliance. 3, made him not simply the enemy of SLA Industries but of
every living thing once thought under its control.
Whether or not 1st Head could secure a connection
with such a malignant and capricious Builder, or face fatal The clandestine research into the subject of White Earth
consequences was not a concern of the Aethernauts. The swiftly turned from eager enlightenment to genuine dread
Authority was too deeply rooted in the company’s trust and as the Authority learned not only simply the machinery
so in 28sd. it was time for the 6th Head to quietly fade from that built territories, but also everything that had gone
view and flee into Conflict Space. disastrously wrong in the universe they now inhabited. They
were under the control of a Builder gone insane and all
In their minds, Head Office could not be reasoned with
evidence pointed to his desire for complete annihilation.
and all they could do was withdraw until the distortions in
reality became so apparent and unwieldy that SLA Industries A host of Field Agents had been killed in the pursuit of
would have need of their services once more. that knowledge and the Authority sensed that the Red King
was gradually training his vision on them specifically. Head
The 6th Head’s predictions were largely correct, but
Office had also gotten wind of their studies and now public
centuries later, when the bell was rung, the invitation still
opinion was turning against them. Both sides of the growing
extended to the other more corruptible Heads as well.
Conflict displayed hostility against them and so it was time
to flee.
“History repeats itself once more. Our forebears fled into
Conflict Space and perhaps that is the 6th Head’s shame. The Authority did not depart as one, in their escape they
Perhaps we should have stayed and fought the mounting broke apart, heading in different directions. Some fled to the
corruption, but simply put, we cannot change the past now. backwater worlds, or simply concealed themselves in plain
sight. A handful risked the Gates of Herodotus, to break
Not what happened in the Formation Era. Not what
free into Conflict Space, as the Aethernauts had done before
happened in 582sd. All that matters is where we go from
them.
here.”
Aethernaut Cravis, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division. “It’s interesting to me that Bitterness didn’t just kill the
Authority when they fled into Conflict Space. I mean he
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can see everyone that slips past White Earth and could have research and analysis of anomalies would be heavily policed
ordered the Ion Pirates to hunt them down, but he didn’t. and regulated.
I don’t think he was being magnanimous, I think it’s all Cloak Division would safeguard company confidentiality,
just part of his game. Killing them was too simple and there’s investigate potential and recognised information leaks and
a longer play at work here. The Authority could predict SLA eliminate subversive threats. The vast majority of its Cloak
Industries; they’re brutal but their decision making is pretty Division agents would have very limited knowledge or access
straightforward and their type of vengeance is immediate. to high level data, they would work through narrow channels
Bitterness wants to destroy every bit of you, before you die. to track down criminal activity and to enact Extermination
He may make you destroy yourself through your own actions. Warrants on offenders.
It could take years, even decades. His punishment might The second Department still held some of the familiar
involve elevating you for a lifetime, only to tear it all away mystique associated with Naga 7 - Stigmartyr’s sole focus
right at the end. was the threat of White Earth and its prisoner, the individual
This is how it’s always been in the Red Court. Nobody known as Bitterness.
knows how pieces on the chess board will shift.”
Seth Verlice (Merchant Prince of Vallot), Courtier.
FADED MEMORY
By 53sd all traces of the Naga Society and its involvement
DEEPER CONCERNS in SLA Industries had all but vanished from the World of
Progress, with just a few traces of their existence lingering
Over a five year period, Slayer sought to track down the on in their absence.
Authority throughout the World of Progress, going as far as Throughout the Expansion, The Boom Time and even into
to assign the best scouts and assassins of the Black Chapter The Great Downturn the Naga went unmentioned, as SLA
to locate them, but the seven Heads of the Authority proved Industries adopted more conventional means to deal with
too resourceful and cunning and remained beyond Slayer’s its problem.
grasp. The Black Chapter specialists used conventional means
It would not be until the 5th Century before a lone
to find the Authority but in all likelihood Professor Finch
Aethernaut reentered the World of Progress, venturing into
and his associates were using their extensive knowledge of
the Cannibal Sector in the hope of saving the people of SLA
anomalies and Cast Offs to conceal position and identities.
owned space. His stay was relatively short and he failed in
his mission and succeeded in fulfilling the Red King’s cruel
“As you might have guessed, the last of them are gone.
scheme.
Agnes Dowr wasn’t at the manor, but she left everything.
Strange. I’m at Finch’s now; he must have left a lot sooner Even then Head Office failed to act, despite sensing old
because the place is empty, right down to the bare boards. All powers clashing in Sector 1 and it would be another four
that’s left behind is a small silver bell, sat on the floor of the lucrative centuries before the cracks set in and The Changes
conservatory. I’ve told the Recon not to touch it. began.
Obviously this item wasn’t forgotten, so I’m shipping the The Era of Progress was over in an instant and the unpaid
bell back to you. Does this item bear some sort of significance debts, the hidden truths and ignored dangers came to a head.
to you? When The Grey returned to the streets of Downtown, when
the denizens of White Earth tore through into the World of
Anyway, I’ve had the Chapter interrogate the house staff so
Progress and Conflict Species returned to settle old scores,
I’ll enclose the report along with the artefact delivery.
Slayer took down the silver bell from its shelf and let it ring.
I don’t think we’ll see any of The Authority again. Probably
for the best.”
Intruder. - Message ends. THE MODERN NAGA
The Authority had vanished without trace and best “ Yes, we heard the bell ring and knew that it could be no
individuals trained in such a task were the now entirely accident. Blackwood ventured back centuries ago and he
absent members of the Naga. Head Office was forced to never returned to us. He followed the scent and we suspected
swallow its pride and let their prey go, for now. In truth it was a ruse: he did not resolve the error but merely delivered
there were more important matters needing its attention: it onto Mort. This is our longstanding regret. We failed the
The Formation was only in its infancy and much work was citizens of this world a second time, there will not be a third.
required in the company’s growing infrastructure. We are here to assist, we will tackle the epidemic that
The gap left by the Naga, presented problems and so two plagues you, or die in the attempt.”
entirely new departments would be devised to deal with Aethernaut Duncan, Spokesperson for the 6th Head.
the aberrations in the World of Progress, only this time the
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The Aethernauts were the first to leave and the first to “There’s a nasty rumour going around that Clock Division
return. They were few in number now, re-entering the World no longer exists and it’s completely and utterly true. Sure, you
of Progress in their signature Aether Armour, tarnished did a Grey BPN recently and it lists Cloak as Departmental
and worn, passed down through centuries and generations, Authorisation but don’t you believe it, it’s Naga 7 Division
carrying on the tradition. pulling the strings. What’s more, this isn’t anything new.
They slipped silently into Mort City, seeking neither The Authority assimilated Cloak Division as part of their
welcome nor reward and began their observations on the negotiations with Head Office and the boss just quietly
Dream Entities that had materialised in Downtown. The passed that bill.
work had to recommence and there was no time like the Of course, this still isn’t common knowledge, not yet
present. anyway, but more and more Ops are getting wise to the
Many of the arriving Aethernauts were asked to attend change. You mark my words, you’re going to start seeing a lot
Head Office and debrief as much as possible. The company more Grey BPNs turning into Cyan ones.
was concerned that citizens, Shivers and Operatives may And that’s the real sick joke in all this. The old Grey BPNs
mistake these strange individuals in their unfamiliar garb as really are going to start living up to their colour, if you catch
some new form of rival agent or even a breed of Conflict my drift…”
Alien and SLA Industries had to issue an immediate press Ross Ackerley Reed, Human Operative
release that the returning Aethernauts were allies, if not SCL 8c, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’.
friends.
Head Office had broader plans for the members of the Naga 7 Division would effectively become a brand new
6th Head and it was requested that a percentage of the department in SLA Industries, sitting on equal footing
Aethernauts take up residence at the Blackwood Institute as Stigmarytr and Threat Analysis. Despite being given
and retrain starting Operatives to fit the profession. The considerable autonomy in the company they would still have
Dream Entity issue was swiftly becoming a widespread to meet some of Head Office’s stipulations.
threat and a lot more Aethernauts were required to address Each of the 7 Heads of the Naga would provide a branch
it. of active duty personnel to operate in the World of Progress.
The other heads of the Naga answered the call and emerged This would mean a whole range of training, speciality
from the shadows, much to the chagrin of the 6th Head. equipment and research, but the Division was (mostly) up
Perhaps, all the problems encountered during the Formation to the challenge and set about providing their own unique
Era would resurface once again, but this time they would not professions to serve SLA Industries and its interests.
retreat but try and face it head on.
The Changes also meant that the other Naga Heads THE HEADS OF THE NAGA
would not have it quite as easy as they had centuries ago.
Stigmartyr, a department that had been designed to replace “Be wary of the so-called lore of the Naga. The Heads have a
certain aspects of their work, held considerable power within habit of creating meaningless titles and sacred rites based on
the company structure and almost immediately the two almost nothing. The Naga create their own mystical names
divisions were at loggerheads. from shreds and fragments of half read and half remembered
Stigmartyr had done their own research and had read parchments and stones, switching out words and letters. They
about the sly dealings and manipulations carried out by have no bearing in the World of Progress, nor Conflict Space.
the Authority and its favoured pupils. They also weren’t It is all part of the proverbial smoke and mirrors by which
impressed with Head Office’s agreement with Naga 7 the Naga obfuscate themselves.
Division, allowing them to absorb Cloak Division as part The Naga boast of power, but it is only connected to what
of the deal. they can find, steal and claim as their own. They are not
Many of the departmental heads thought this inevitable Guides. They are not Guardians.
and that Cloak Division would ultimately fail once factions They are not Builders; they just wish they were.”
like the Shi’An Cult, Dream Entities and returning Conflict
Species appeared in the World of Progress. Mattifet Ketaptor, The Neophron Empress.
Cloak Division was effective in eliminating threats, Naga 7 Division’s purpose and ambitions are characterised
maintaining security and suppressing info leaks, but in The by their insignia, which depicts a serpent with seven heads
Changes there were too many peculiarities of which Cloak splaying out from the neck, each signifying a different aspect
was not designed to cope with. of learning.
Legions of trained Dark Finders must now fall under the Along with everything else in Naga 7’s arsenal the
guidance of older, stranger powers, with a large percentage of Division’s iconography is updated to meet modern standards,
Cloak Division assuming roles in the 3rd Head. particularly the Naga itself, but what has been subject to
194
speculation is the removal of the ‘knot in the serpent’s tail, Each of the Naga has at least one form of agent who
which in its previous incarnation represented the eternal partakes in active service alongside Operatives, some are
puzzle. more common than others with Aethernauts in particular
Some have surmised that this may be due to the fact that being very familiar to the general populace. During The
Naga 7 is more open to complete transparency, but this is Changes, Mort City is seeing more 1st Head Field Agents,
heavily contested. AetherTrackers and the notorious Whips partaking in BPNs
or working in Downtown and all too often rubbing up SLA
The more credible view, especially within the Division
Ops the wrong way.
itself, is that those bearing the new Naga icon are not privy
to the complete set of facts and that even in The Changes, Staff from other Heads are a lot less common, with the
crucial information necessary to fixing and maintaining the likes of Misereres and Chroniclers only venturing out to
World of Progress is still restricted and withheld. assist on a singular BPN, such as to retrieve an ancient lost
tome, or to perform a physical examination on the corpse of
“The twist in the tail still exists but not for those who have a recently deceased Conflict Alien.
entered Naga 7 ranks in the last five years. I was hoping the 1st Head
Authority and Head Office would be a bit more forthcoming
but it’s just more of the same. The Division wants to issue us The first head (Nammon) was the Finder.
with Fracture weapons and they haven’t even specified their
mechanics. How are we meant to explain away these highly “I am your Field Agent and for the time being you’re my
controversial tools? To SLA Operatives? To Downtown servants, so you’re going to do as you’re damn well told. Now,
Civilians, even? cease your prattle and get that sarcophagus onto the truck
We sit right at the tip of the Naga’s tail and the high and watch the sides! It’s worth a lot more than you lot.”
echelons are positioned above a knot of secrecy that they claim
no longer exists.
Field Agent.
When are we going to come clean with what we know? The Whilst the 7th Head bears the name of the Dictator, it is
public needs to understand the risks.” the Agents of the 1st Head who hold the most power and
sway in the running of the Division, with Professor Charles
Doctor Erza Speigelman, Naga Chronicler, 2nd Head.
S. Finch serving as the Naga’s Chancellor.
195
The highest ranking members of the 1st Head have access AetherTracker.
to all subjects of Catalogue and the Finding Vault.
Like the Aethernaut profession, the AetherTrackers’ are
Field Agents travel the World Of Progress and on occasion,
focussed primarily on Dream Entities, but their interest in
Conflict Space in search of precious artefacts. These may
the strange beings is a lot more pernicious. AetherTrackers
have origins directly tied to Territory 3, ranging from
are trained to hunt down and kill Dream Entities.
Shaktarian legendary weapons, Ebb Glyphs or even White
Earth treasures. Their interest in the creature’s Source Parent and background
only goes so far as it makes the Dream Entity easier to kill.
They may also be called to source and retrieve Cast Offs
AetherTrackers are cold, ruthless and efficient and though
from any of the adjacent Territories, but the search for such
they provide an invaluable service to SLA Industries, they
unique relics are only granted to the most reliable (and
have little empathy and zero patience for the drama and
trustworthy) Field Agents.
eccentricities of the average SLA Operative Squad.
When Operatives express their frustrations of Naga 7
The 3rd Head is currently the only aspect to have two forms
Division personnel they are mainly referring to Field Agents
of active service personnel. Alongside the AetherTrackers,
of the 1st Head, whom they know to be arrogant, sly, power
Naga 7 deploys the Grey Guards to protect and contain
hungry and avaricious.
the perimeters of a newly discovered Grey Zone. They
2nd Head are instantly recognisable in their customised Power Cell
armour and carry BLA 819M Pushers, Jolt Guns and
The second head (Thalamal) was the Reader. GASH Clearance Batons. They ensure only Aethernauts
and Operatives go in and nothing else comes out.
“This is a particularly valuable book; it details the First
Breach. It originates from Bybelan and is thus biassed 4th Head
towards Tibor and his armies, yet it is forced to chronicle
The Fourth Head (Cratese) was the Physician.
his inevitable defeat and his expulsion from the deserts of
White Earth.”
“If you intend to perform an autopsy on a Grosh Scientist
I advise you to act with expediency, as it will be little more
Chronicler.
than decaying refuse in a matter of hours, especially after
The Chroniclers work most closely with Catalogue and these dullards have breathed germs all over it. I have yet to
many of its staff maintain the vast library growing steadily find another such species so defenceless against disease and
over the last nine centuries. They rarely partake in active infection. All Misereres should dissect the corpse of a Root
duty outside of Head Office and are almost never seen by Dog at least once in their lifetime, but time is of the essence in
the general populace. such examinations, even with the most deft touch.”
The profoundly curious seek a position in the 2nd Head but Miserere.
being privy to such a wide array of forbidden and challenging
knowledge can be extremely harmful to one’s well being and During The Formation Era these sombre surgeons were
a great many new recruits develop life threatening doses of referred to as the Misters and were exclusively male in
The Grey contracted from the pages that they’ve read. their ranks, however, in the modern era the department has
Catalogue has tomes, pamphlets, magazines, basalt reliefs opened its doors to all with the medical aptitude.
and ancient fragments from not only the World of Progress Amidst The Changes specialists within the 4th Head are
and Conflict Space, but also Cast Off literature from any of now referred to as Misereres. To the average Operative or
the 0 - 6 Territories and exploring such material at length Civilian with no concept of realities outwith the World
may contradict and greatly disturb the reader’s concept of of Progress, the appellation holds no discernible meaning.
reality. When queried, the members of the 4th Head will often
Chroniclers who do venture out in active service are loath explain that it refers to a surgical instrument that delivers
to do so. They hate the noise, the stress and the dangers mercy, but as with all Naga 7 personnel, one is left doubting
associated with BPNs. It is far better to read about adventures the information given.
in books than experience them firsthand in the living world. More and more species are being discovered throughout
the World of Progress and countless denizens, unclassified
3rd Head
in the Naga 7 Division Catalogue, are flooding into SLA
The Third Head (Horas) was the Observer. owned space from White Earth and Conflict Space. All such
specimens need thorough examination and classification and
“Not here to get to know Dream Entities. Here to get to the sallow, sombre Misereres surface when a new variety of
know how to kill Dream Entities.” alien or oddity is discovered and owing to Naga 7’s privileges
they are always first to conduct their surgical analysis.
196
The 4th Head’s Misereres often clash with researchers from The success rate in the Utilisers efforts has been limited
Threat Analysis, who harbour considerable disdain of the since it can take years or even decades to gather enough
specialists. Like many other members of the Division they analytics from their chosen items and there is always the
are found to be secretive and rapacious with their findings, inherent risk of close examination of the Cast Offs hailing
preferring to seek prestigious honours from their betters from Territory Zero.
rather than share their valuable information with Threat In recent years, however, they have made some
Analysis, who seek to better instruct Operatives in their advancements in the technology of the Aethernauts, Field
dealings with unfamiliar adversaries. Agents and AetherTrackers. They have also worked tirelessly
5th Head (after some external guidance) to bring Fracture weapons
into the Naga 7 arsenal.
The Fifth Head ( Jandae) was the Alchemist.
6th Head
“I have nothing but contempt for that obnoxious ‘Red The Sixth Head (Ptotep) was the Theorist.
Wraithen’ but I must confess his Builder’s craft has been
nothing short of inspirational. The 5th Head’s understanding “The Dream Entities aren’t a species, they are simply us,
of dimensional disruption has expanded tenfold since Mr without laws or parameters. We are here to reinforce the rules
Dettric’s confinement and interrogation. Long may his that have been broken. Have a mint.” Aethernauts
incarceration continue.”
Aethernauts are specialists in the field of Dream Entities,
Utiliser.
which they are trained to observe, classify and negate as
a threat to SLA Industries and the citizens of the World
Utilisers make study of the various artefacts and Cast Offs
of Progress. They are some of the first of the Division to
brought into the Division and whenever possible, break
undertake active duty and one of the few agencies of the
them down into their most base elements and compounds,
Naga 7 that is welcomed and well regarded by the public, as
then report back their findings. It is the hope of the Utilisers
they are selfless, affable and highly proficient in their duties.
that their research will grant them and other specialists in
the Division, the ability to adapt and recreate the items they They are instantly recognisable in their distinctive Aether
have studied and examined, sometimes over long periods. Armour and strange yet particular apparatus, designed to
protect them from Dream Entity attacks.
197
For years the Aethernauts have regularly served and The Whips are cruel, vicious bullies posing as pious teachers
accompanied Sector Rangers, BridgeHead Shivers or even and benevolent guides. If they are beyond the watchful eyes
SLA Operatives stationed or touring Cannibal Sector 1, of high SCL Operatives, Whips and their accompanying
acting as advisor and observer, overseeing operations and Virtue Squad (made up of seven Seraphim brutes) will drop
steering their companions on the safest path. While they all pretence of propriety and indulge in wanton drunkenness
hold little jurisdiction in such situations, those who have and debauchery: everything Moral Right is meant to be
spent any time in CS1 know that it is wise to listen to an railing against.
Aethernaut.
The Aethernaut order was in previous centuries almost CATALOGUE
exclusively Human in their ranks, but in The Changes other
Catalogue is deeply contentious within the SLA hierarchy
species have been encouraged and welcomed into the 6th
because much like Threat Analysis it is a repository of
Head. This is due to the rise in Dream Entities and resulting
information yet it does not grant access to SLA staff outside
Grey Zones urging SLA Industries and Naga 7 Division to
of Naga 7 Division.
broaden its criteria and train more Aethernauts to deal with
this nascent threat. All active duty Naga 7 personnel are duty bound to relay
any findings they discover in their tours and missions. If
7th Head the individual acquires a valuable artefact or ancient tome,
the item checked in to the department must come with a
The Seventh Head (Thull) was the Dictator.
report filed in Catalogue, with the date and fully detailed
“Do you see this insignia, stray cat? The M R stands for information.
Moral Right. It means I have the legal right to judge your When a new entry is submitted to Catalogue, whether in
character. What I see does not impress me. In fact, I consider written or audio format, the first port of call is through the
you and your kind a disgrace and a dashed nuisance, the way sorting offices of the 2nd Head. The report must be properly
you creep about these streets and feed on rats, licking blood titled and prefaced (with a stamp indicating classified/
from your matted fur. sensitive material), with advice as to which Naga Head it
Given half the chance I wouldn’t put it past you to feast on should have the attention of.
a Human child, if they were vulnerable and alone. A child The file will be shuttled through a series of specialised
who legitimately belongs here on this planet, I might add. sorting offices and forwarded with varying degrees of urgency.
If you intend to further loiter on these streets you need to In most instances, the folder will be quietly filed away with
understand where your place is, we are here to educate you in countless others within Catalogue’s extensive libraries but
the most efficient and lasting manner. Take him. certain keywords and topics will be instantly flagged and the
seemingly antiquated system of data flow springs into life
Stop struggling, if you won’t see sense, we will beat it into and the Field Agent or Aethernaut is immediately contacted
you.” The Whips on their headset and typically told not to speak to anyone
The Whips are young gentlemen of distinction, having else about their findings and return to the Division asap …
been raised by the rich elite: the Boom Families and enjoyed Of all the active duty personnel working for Naga 7
the finest (and most expensive) education available in the Division, it is the Aethernauts who have the most difficulty
World of Progress. Before they walk straight into well paid, gaining the necessary permission to explore Catalogue’s info
mid level positions in the Corporate Sector they must spend bank.
two years leading a Virtue Squad in either Suburbia or, more
likely, Inner Downtown. “It’s pretty clear why we barely get so much as a glance
The Whip is the brutal instrument of the Moral Right inside Catalogue. It’s because the 6th Head would put all
Division: the 7th Head of the Naga whose duty is to study these findings to good use. We’d use it to help Mort and the
social sciences and infrastructure in the World of Progress World of Progress. The other Heads only want to keep their
and enact improvements. Their recent inclusion in SLA secrets under lock and key. They could have made everything
Industries has been a blight on the population of Inner better, but they only succeeded in making everything worse.
Downtown and any non Human species that so much as I can’t put it any simpler than that.”
crosses their self righteous path. Aethernaut Giscombe, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
The primary goal of the Whip is to forcibly tutor the most
marginalised citizens about ethics and temperance, until
they bleed, weep and accept them. The dark underlying truth
FINDING VAULT
of the Virtue Squads is their intent is to exert fear, authority Whilst Catalogue collates and stores all literature, reports
and control over the troubled masses. The only goal is simply and additional information, the Finding Vault houses and
to have them cowed and held in check. protects all artefacts and Cast Offs that have been found and
198
recorded over the many centuries. These traced and retrieved structure and metaphysics. Even those who pass the grade
items have originated from Territories 0 - 6 and as such, the do not enter SLA Industries with a complete knowledge
Vault is one of the most heavily guarded locales on Mort. of the Outer Territories, but they will know enough to see
The precise location is as protected as its hidden contents, them through the early SCLs and low level BPNs, gradually
but what is common knowledge is that it is situated building a greater understanding of their reality through
somewhere within Head Office, on planet Mort. Though the time and experience.
Naga fled SLA Industries during the Formation Era, the vast
collection of objects remained under lock and key in Mort “When I left the Blackwood Institute with my degree I was
Central throughout the centuries and only once the members happy, but frustrated - wanting to know more. I felt like
of Naga 7 returned to the company were they granted access everything in my training was leading towards a door, but
to reenter the Vault (under armed supervision). at the end of term the door was locked and it was time to go.
I’ve been an Aethernaut for two and a half years now and
“Aah, the great and illustrious Finding Vault… it’s right if I’m honest I’m sorta glad that metaphorical door barred me
up there with Jacinto, isn’t it? A magical, forbidden place from entry. I know enough to perform my duties and keep
that you yearn to explore. But you’d think we’d have learned the Dream Entities at bay and the more I have witnessed
by now, wouldn’t you? This is the World of Progress. This is the more I’ve come to realise that my entire career is simply
SLA Industries and if you go looking for the truth, you end ensuring the door stays locked and double bolted.”
up dead. Aethernaut Peterson, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
At first it would be a bullet to the brain because you went
looking for truth and now it’d be contracting The Grey Hovin and Mald: Many Naga 7 Aethernauts and Field
because you actually found it. It’s all common knowledge Agents originate from one of two continents on planet
now, what’ll become of us and still we search. I’ve been Mort - Hovin and Mald. Aethernauts tend to derive from
trying to figure out why that might be. Hovin, from which they inherit good nature and humour
It’s that we can’t seem to stop what’s coming. We won’t live (a staple of most Aethernauts), while the majority of
long in this place, not the way it’s been set up, but perhaps we Field Agents hail from the more affluent Mald, which
can finish our lives knowing what all this meant.” is the seat of the Blackwood Institute. Some believe it
Garren Mayfield, Human Operative, SCL is the wealthy elitism prevalent in Mald that drives the
4b, Squad Milk and Two Milgrams. arrogance and snobbery in the 1st Head personnel.
Even Aethernauts who are born in Mald differ somewhat
from the more familiar attitude of their kind. Malden
THE BLACKWOOD INSTITUTE Aethernauts have equally good intentions but are
The Blackwood Institute is based in Mald and serves to more stern and exhibit impatience when challenged
educate and prepare the students of all seven Heads for or obstructed in their investigations. They are more
employment in SLA Industries. It was built centuries before outspoken and more likely to verbally spar with other
the Meny Training Facility and is an enormous stately members of Naga 7 Division.
building at its front, with numerous modernised compounds As more and more Naga 7 individuals enter the Operative
branching out to the rear. program these personality traits shine brighter and
During the Formation Era, the Institute was known simply squadmates can swiftly predict from where they originate
as the Mald University and throughout the many years that after a few brief conversations.
the Naga Society was absent from the World of Progress, Conversely, Field Agents who were raised in Hovin are
the building ran a limited service as a library and museum, more amiable and generous and try to use their found
exhibiting restricted displays and literature to these more artefacts and privilege for the general good.
scholarly branches of SLA Operative programs. Regrettably, Hovinite Field Agents are rare and are often
When the Authority and its personnel returned in the targeted and sabotaged by their entitled kin.
advent of The Changes, the University was reopened and
renamed The Blackwood Institute, after one of its finest and “By ‘ek, sum choof in Cleckuddinsfield wus neckin is bru
most revered Aethernauts, who passed away in 582sd. wen mackle munchers brecked in is ahs ter nick is sammich
Students at the Blackwood Institute must earn Degrees wen are man baffled is Fen and winched a spanner. Belted
in their chosen field before entering active service in SLA yer Carriens tweent orns and packed arm off.
Industries which takes between 3-5 years depending on the It were reet grand, tellin ya.”
course. - Seth Barcle, Hovin resident.
Aethernauts and Field Agents spend their years of education
slowly absorbing the varying levels of information, history,
199
NAGA 7 HIERARCHY DEAN

Even within the system of SLA Industries corporate Each Head of the Naga is governed by a Dean and holds
structure, Naga 7 Division insists on its own unique dominion over its specific parameters with the Division. The
Hierarchy. Outside of the Division, active duty personnel Dean is often referred to as the Head (a true head of the
have little use for this system of governance. The age-old Naga).
system of leadership only comes into effect when the Agent
or Aethernaut has to attend or receive orders directly from
the Division HQ within Head Office. MASTER PROFESSOR
In this regard, the Chancellor, Deans, even Master Professors
A Master Professor is the resident expert for the Division
can supersede SLA’ Industries orders and restrictions if it
in a specified field. Other (lower ranking) professors are
pertains to Naga 7 Division context and missions.
answerable to this individual within each Head. Is one of the
most prestigious positions available within the Division and
THE AUTHORITY much sought after.
The Authority comprises the original members of the Naga
Society’s founding members, still alive nine centuries on. PROFESSOR/DOCTOR
Operating as a collective the Authority will meet to debate
They do not usually have active duty in SLA Industries and
the Divisions plans for the future and discuss the most
work within Head Office and Meny focusing on research,
pertinent recent discoveries.
theory based studies and analysis. Professors tend to issue
Despite their long standing the various members of The missions/BPNs to Operatives and oversee Field Agents etc.
Authority are typically competitive, snide and confrontational
toward each other, yet conversely very defensive of them LECTURER
outside of the Division. Each Head (see below) jealously
guards his or her position and is always looking to accrue Lecturers given the task of teaching Naga 7 recruits,
more power bases, more secrets and especially the most whether they be Aethernauts, AetherTrackers, Archivists,
accessible and valuable Cast Offs. Field Agents etc within both the Blackwood Institute and
occasionally Division HQ in Mort Head Office.
CHANCELLOR Like Professors, Lecturers do not participate in active
services and teach trainees cycling through the education
The Division’s long standing ruling body is known as The
system, but sometimes experienced Field Agents are brought
Chancellor, Professor Charles S. Finch has held this seat
in short term for special purposes.
since the Society’s inception. With the department there
are various heads with different levels of authorities, but the
Chancellor supersedes all and can veto any decisions made.
PORTER
Porters hold the lowest rank in the Division and perform
VICE CHANCELLOR custodial roles for the high ranking members. The vast
majority are never seen outside Division HQ or the private
The Vice Chancellor serves as the second in command and
residences. Some will see active duty if they are assigned to
advisor to the Chancellor. Over the centuries this position
serve a 7th Head Whip.
has been held by different Heads, but since the Division’s
return to SLA Industries, that honour has been bestowed New Colours: At first, there were two dreaded BPNs
to Agnes Dowr - a controversial decision that has been made available to Operatives - the Platinum, sent directly
challenged by other members of the Authority. from Head Office and is purported to be solely a mission
Dowr has used her considerable power to devise M.R into White Earth and the black BPN, widely regarded as
Division and, more recently, Re-education Factories in little more than highly paid suicide mission.
Downtown. Dowr demands even more jurisdiction in the In 915sd, Threat Analysis entered discussions with both
handling of the civilian population of Mort City, but with Stigmartyr and Naga 7 Division and it was decided that
consistent troubling and limited results the Vice Chancellor two new colours would be added to the list to coded BPN
has struggled to get more laws forcibly enacted. types that struck fear into the bowels of most active SLA
Operatives.
The first was the Orange - which deals exclusively
with Shi’An activity and the very latest - Cyan BPN
which involves investigating and ultimately nullifying
Dream influence. This means investigating Downtown
200
disturbances, venturing into hostile Grey Zones and Naga 7 Division has introduced three active duty personnel
destroying the resident Dream Entities that have taken into the Operative program - the Aethernaut, whose focus
ownership of the region. is the study and containment of Dream Entities, the
Aethernauts have always made a point of closing off all AetherTracker, who represents the Division’s Dream Entity
access to Grey Zones once they’ve been identified but in exterminator and the Naga Field Agent, an expert in the
915sd there are simply too many of them to ignore, or Field of Archeology, journeying both the World of Progress
avoid. The trapped civilians may regrettably die off from and very occasionally Conflict Space.
disease, but Dream Entities will thrive and flourish in All three are specialists in their particular field and their
such a location. involvement in SLA Operative squads tends to veer their
This need to devise a whole new colour BPN was BPNs in favour of their particular brand of study.
prompted by a growing need to forewarn the Operative of When an Aethernaut or AetherTracker is assigned to a
what they might be getting into and for SLA to select its squad they may expect a lot more trips into Lower Downtown
assigned Operatives and more recently, Naga 7 personnel, and accept White/Cyan BPNs, whereas Naga Field Agents
carefully for such missions. will likely draw more emphasis towards Green/Yellow BPNs
Orange And Cyans are a frightening prospect for - tracking down rare and obscure artefacts hidden on distant
Operatives because if they prove successful at said BPNs Backwater Worlds or in the remote regions of the Cannibal
they can almost certainly expect a lot more of them in Sectors.
the future. Some of the most unfortunate Ops can find Naga 7 Character Classes may be best suited to singular
their careers shaped by the completion of these exclusive campaigns of BPNS, utilising players who are only able
BPNs and getting gradually absorbed in the Departments to attend a handful of sessions, or have work/family
of either Naga 7 Division or Stigmatryr. commitments. These could be characters that flit in and out
It is the time of The Changes and Operative hours have of the Squads, reappearing occasionally to assist on a specific
different requirements. part of investigation. These active duty personnel can also be
added to a SLA Operative Squad as temporary NPCs that
SCL 10 Ops are rarely, if ever, assigned Orange or Cyan
shift the campaign in new directions or in the case of the
BPNs and in the case of Cyans an Aethernaut is assigned
Field Agents, a growing antagonist within the squad.
to the Operative Squad for the duration of the mission.
Such characters may, of course, have a much more integrated
But It’s not all bad news, Naga 7 has recently taken to
role in the game session if the players are genuinely enjoying
sending Operatives “exemplary performance letters”.
the direction of the campaign and like BPNs that lean heavily
These congratulatory letters include a monetary award,
towards Dream Entity activity and the strange, supernatural
from several hundred to several thousand credits and
anomalies occurring in the World of Progress.
advisement that not only has the Operative come to
the attention of Naga 7, but that they may be directly That said, Naga 7 Division characters are best suited to
requested for future actions. Most wise Operatives see players who are very familiar with the lore of SLA Industries
these letters for the warnings that they actually are. and the additional background information provided by
SLA Industries 2nd Edition RPG.
Some of the confidential information within this chapter
NAGA 7 CHARACTER CLASSES may need to be supplied to the player who has chosen a
Naga 7 character class. (see Outer Territories).
“ You think that they’re all going to be as nice as the How much of this metaplot the GM wishes to divulge to
Aethernauts; all jolly chats and tea drinking, but after a the starting character is purely at the GM’s discretion, but
while you realise Naga 7 Division is pretty much just made a Field Agent is likely to know the most, followed by an
up of complete assholes. Aethernaut and an AetherTracker only really being given
AetherTrackers are cold hearted bastards just like the enough data to hunt and slay Dream Entities.
Wraithen; they’re obsessed with the hunt but it’s steeped This should be kept in mind when a player expresses an
more in rage than joy. Then you’ve got the Field Agents and interest in playing these three professions.
you better pray you don’t get one of them assigned to your
Squad because they’re going to drag you into some of the most
inhospitable places in the World of Progress and you are
completely expendable.
All they care about is finding that precious item they’re
searching for. Nothing else matters.
These are tough times we’re facing.”
Dolores Sutton-Reeves, SLA Corporate, SCL 8.
201
written report, but those Aethernauts or Agents who are off

ACTIVE SERVICE world or on a tour of Mort’s more remote locations may be
“Ugh, do you honestly have to attend one of these awful asked to submit a report via Catalogue Transmitter.
places every time you want to request a BPN? How do they
Treasury: Naga 7 Division is among other things,
cope? It’s so tiresome and stressful… and there there’s the
exceptionally wealthy. It has vaults overstuffed with riches
smell. I thought Lower Downtown was bad. The cigarette
accrued over centuries and now under the employ of SLA
smoke, the body odour and beer breath creates a genuine
Industries it has access to near limitless business expenses.
miasma.
Huge budgets are allocated to far flung planetary
I even saw a 313 Stormer taking a shit in an ashtray the
expeditions and excavations but in actuality they are a
other day and no one batted so much as an eyelid.
mere drop in the ocean of Naga 7’s extreme affluence.
So this is what it’s like to be an honorary SLA Operative…”
Field Agents of the 1st Head will regularly requisition
Aethernaut Tate, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division. expenses for the missions they undertake and if they are
suitably skilled in Admin and Finance they will receive
In 915sd. Naga 7 Division personnel who are participating the necessary funds with little scrutiny.
in activity duty must adhere to the rules SLA Operatives
abide by, whether they like it or not. They must enter the Members of the 1st Head in particular will use expenses
Security Clearance Level system and receive and complete to stay in the nicest accommodation, sample expensive
BPNs, the same as any other Operative. local cuisines and yet scrimp if possible on hiring personal
protection from the local underclass and for manual
As with all Operatives, Naga 7 Division personnel start at labour.
SCL 10 and will receive BPNs from the nearest BPN Hall
or Terminal, having to wade through a series of low paying If the accompanying Squad is impolite or aggressive
Blue missions. towards the Agent he will invariably put them up in the
cheapest and roughest lodging possible.
Field Agents may be somewhat perturbed at being forced
to commit to such mindless drudgery, but The Authority Naga 7’s Treasury will only conduct thorough checks on
insists on it for several reasons. field expenses if the Agent has failed in his mission, but
as long as he returns with a valuable Cast Off they will
They expect any of their staff to be on the constant lookout happily overlook receipts for caviar and 1st class seats on
for anything of interest to the Division and often such interplanetary travel.
evidence and hearsay can only be found randomly in the day
to day missions issued by the BPN Officers. Standard Issue
Naga 7 Division also requires their people to integrate All Naga 7 Division personnel who accept active duty
with the standard Operative Squad so as to learn best how differ from regular Operatives in that they are not given
to bend and manipulate them. Many young Field Agents a budget to buy their starting equipment. They are given
push their way in and commence ordering everyone around, standard issue equipment and weaponry that matches their
but the more shrewd Agents employ patience, charm and profession, with a few optional choices from a specific range.
diligence as they gradually learn the group dynamics, define Most of the equipment to Naga 7 is specifically catered and
potential enemies and build allies. All this will be necessary designed for their role. Aether Armour and the FOW Staff
as they start to operate outside of the company’s rules and defends the Aethernaut against Dream Entities, while Field
serve the ulterior motives of the Division. Agents’ Hyke Armour has an inbuilt RS Device technology
After working through SCL 10, Naga 7 personnel start and offers the best environmental protection as they traverse
receiving BPNs more suited to their specific line of work, as the alien worlds.
Division starts pressuring BPN Officers to give preferential Once they have completed their first BPN they can start to
treatment to their favoured pupils. If the Aethernaut or Field earn for themselves and buy their own personal equipment
Agent proves valuable to the department the Squad will but the Division will frown upon any enhancement or
receive increasing Cyan/White and Yellow/Green missions, deviation away from the official dress code set down by their
which may suit some of the more adventurous and cerebral Naga’s specific Head ie. an Aethernaut should not jettison
Operative types, but may aggravate the more combat driven their traditional Aether Suit in favour of more expensive and
Operative. AetherTrackers tend to favour a fight, so a protective CrackShot Armour, for example.
promising Entity hunter may earn the more pugnacious Naga 7 staff do indeed receive better starting equipment
team a higher chance of a decent fight and better pay. than the more common SLA Op, however they are expected
All active duty Naga 7 personnel must report to Catalogue to maintain and represent the Division in the most officious
once a week or after the completion of a BPN, even if the way possible and not personalise their look.
purpose and result of the BPN was not related to Naga Naga 7 Personnel usually spent their pay on improved
7’s interests. Those of a low SCL simply completing daily weapons (particularly in the case of AetherTrackers),
missions from the BPN Hall will be requested to hand in a
202
Aethernauts may pay out for research material or a down

payment on a decent Downtown apartment. Field Agents
tend to spend their money on life’s little luxuries.
“I mean, yes it’s correct: Naga 7 Division does give you

Aether Armour as standard but you still have to pay for
its upkeep and repairs, unless of course you’re a dab hand
at paperwork and have time to file it with the Division’s
accounts.
The sheer amount of time it takes to get Naga 7 to cover
the cost of repairs you’d have been better off just paying for
it yourself.”
Aethernaut Wetherall, 5th Head, Naga 7 Division.
Back Benches: In the era of The Changes, Naga 7

Division has presented the company with seven separate
active duty roles for each Head, but in this book only
three of these professions are playable. The other four
roles either do not venture out into the World of Progress
so readily (such as with the Chronicler or Utiliser) or
they are not assigned to Operative Squads in a traditional Shaktars tend to be more pragmatic and handle challenging
sense, nor do they enter the SCL system. education better and fit in just fine.
The Whip is always attached to a Virtue Squad in a role Likewise, Ebonites find that the strange teachings of
of leadership, so they only brush shoulders with Operative the Aetherman programs dulls and agitates their Ebb and
Squads in rare instances. Formulae and they cannot wear Aether Suits.
Whips are also uniformly bigoted, bullish, priveleged and Wraithen and Frothers simply find the work a little too
corrupt. Field Agents may be antagonistic with a Squad, boring and reserved, but on occasion a Wraithen has
but the Whips are thoroughly rotten and would create completed training and entered the 6th Head - these lean
untold friction and disruption in a mixed species Squad, towards Southern Wraithen whose temperament and
so as developers we advise against including them in your outlook suits the Aethernaut career choice.
game sessions, unless the entire group is in agreement and Stormers of all models are far too driven by violence to ever
feels a player character Whip would make for interesting be considered by the 6th Head, which suits them just fine.
game play.
This is entirely down to the GM’s (and players) discretion.
AetherTracker
Only ADV. Carrien are eligible to become AetherTrackers,
ENROLMENT since no other species has, as yet, possessed the innate abilities
that the profession requires. This is of a disappointment to
Field Agent SLA Industries and Naga 7 Division as AetherTrackers
1st Head Field Agents are almost exclusively Human; a perform an important duty in The Changes, but there are
regrettable trait of the Division and it is the 1st Head has still relatively few in number.
proven the most reticent towards change. The 1st Head has The only other species suspected of exhibiting Dream
its secret agendas and they do not want well intentioned Psychometry are the Omaja, but very few members of this
prying Neophrons and Ebons within its ranks, nor do they species are currently on Mort and the 3rd Head is keen
want a noble Shaktar assuming the role of Field Agent who to conduct further tests on willing subjects from the Baal
will fail to bend rules or lie and cheat to obtain their quarry. System.
Aethernaut
Artefacts and Victims: While AetherTrackers can detect
The Aethernaut Program does not have heavy restrictions Dream entities at astounding ranges, a bit of research
towards which species may apply, but with exception to never hurts. If the Tracker can find an artefact of the entity
Human and Neophron, the other species have little interest they are hunting, they can store it for the purposes of later
in joining their ranks. Staunch Shaktars do not become Retrocognition. Once an Artefact has been used in this
Aethermen because it conflicts (and contradicts with their way it is no longer useful to the tracker and simply filed
religious beliefs and as a result most exit training early on to Catalogue. Living victims of an attack can be used as
when elements of their faith are tested by contradictory Artefacts, as can pieces of dead ones.
evidence with regards to Dream Entities). Mort based
203
Earning the position of Field Agent is one of the challenging

NAGA FIELD AGENT roles to attain in the Naga 7 Division and applicants must also
“ Yes, Tobias, the Hominids did guard their Father Stone well. possess a very unique skill - Sense Artefact, in which they can
So well, in fact, that our squad lost a Human and a Wraithen sense and ascertain mystical properties in inanimate objects
in the ensuing struggle. Their names do not matter, old friend, and where they may be concealed.
you never knew them. Never will. During their years of study and education Agents hear tales
The Father Stone is a crimson gem, about the size of a of Cast Offs: strange and otherworldly artefacts that have
Human heart. They originate from White Earth and grant the slipped through into the World of Progress from what Naga 7
governance over primates. I learned this from my studies into describes as other Territories: alternate dimensions believed to
the Shi’An Malefactor - Gregory Leedling. sit adjacent to the present accepted reality. But such precious
treasures are not assigned to those Field Agents new to the
I have the Father Stone … hidden away, Tobias. That’s all profession; most, if not all, staff will be given the task of tracking
you need to know. Sorry, old friend, I cannot afford to divulge. down objects and relics originating from histories in the World
That ghastly little Hovinite ‘Aethernaut Grierson’ is tracking of Progress, such as Rawheadian amulets in Cannibal Sector 1,
me again. He got to the Ascetic’s Sword first and delivered it to or Shaktarian legendary weapons, perhaps.
Stigmartyr. Ugh, the fool!
As they progress through the ranks of SCL their assignments
He stole that from me, but he’ll never have the Father Stone.” get more arcane: searching for items created by the bygone
Field Agent Hugo Chase Clipton, Conflict Species.
SCL 8b, Naga 7 Division. Eventually, when the Authority deems the Agent trustworthy
and with enough to lose, they will be charged with finding the
Insight: illustrious Cast Offs and bringing them immediately back to
Naga 7 Division looked at you and saw one of their own. the Division…
An ambitious young individual who wasn’t going to let tedious Field Agents have a deep-seated wanderlust and they yearn to
company bureaucracy prevent you from achieving greatness. leave the drab confines of Mort City and journey to the largely
Professor Collins told you from the very beginning that you unexplored planets in the remotest sections of the World of
have the nose for it. One in a hundred pupils simply had a Progress. Venturing into the area known as Conflict Space
natural aptitude, ‘a sense’ for the hidden and no matter how far is the lofty ambition of all Field Agents, but at present very
or how deep an artefact may be buried, you would sniff it out few are granted such permission. The Division itself is keen
and claim it. for their Agents to reenter the vast, untamed regions, but SLA
Industries has repeatedly denied access to Conflict Space,
And let nothing stand in your way.
fearing the betrayal and dissension it breeds in those who
Of course, a certain degree of panache and expenditure would journey too deeply into its environs.
help, Collins said, you’ll dress too well to get your hands dirty.
In times long past the Field Agents mostly worked and
You’ll study the surroundings and throw a little cash to the
travelled alone, relying mainly on paid muscle and hired labour
local labourers to dig. There may be a little resistance and that’s
wherever they ventured. This also allowed them to comfortably
where you spend a bit more on the … other locals. The less than
search and function beyond the vigilant eye of SLA Industries,
savoury types who will just make the problems disappear.
pocketting choice artefacts in their lengthy expeditions, but in
Let nothing get between you and your quarry, because all the the era of The Changes, all fresh Field Agents are assigned to
lost items scattered throughout the SLA Universe hold powers. Operative Squads, much to their chagrin and the frustration of
The value is not in their monetary profit, but the gifts within all who serve under them.
the item. The now infamous snobbery and elitism is driven into the
Let the Neophron respect all walks of life and protect the Field Agent from an early age and they mostly carry their
innocent, let Stormers punch out the teeth of their foes and particular form of arrogance into adulthood. As far as they are
Wraithen dart about after rodents. You must aim higher and concerned, the moment they enter a SLA Op Squad, they now
draw power from a different source. lead that Squad.
Some items are for giving to the Naga, others for selling on Field Agents hold a very particular rank in the Operative
the black market (that off the books local labour won’t pay for program: if the assigned BPN to the Squad falls within the
itself ) and others are for keeping. parameters of their expertise (ie a Yellow to retrieve a precious
It’s all a matter of knowing which is which. item, or a White investigation that piques the interest of the
Division) the Field Agent assumes leadership of the Squad for
Background the duration of the mission. Only high ranking SLA Operatives
Field Agents are hired by Naga 7 Division’s 1st Head to travel of SCL 6 and above can supersede the Agent’s orders.
throughout the World of Progress and track down valuable Appearance
historical relics, ancient weapons and the most valuable of all
items: Cast Offs from alternate Territories. Naga 7 Field Agents are almost always Human Species.
The only other species best suited to their line of work are
the Neophron, but they avoid the 1st Head owing to its well
204
documented corruption and duplicity, preferring to seek

employment as Aethernauts of the 6th Head.
Field Agents prefer formal wear, signature suits and fedoras
and a small steel Naga 7 pin to establish their allegiance to the
department and parent company. This outfit is worn during the
early stages of research, interviews and attendance in the Naga
7 offices. If the Field Agent expects to be entering a hostile
environment in order to complete a BPN or assignment they
will invariably don a suit of Hyke Armour and equip themselves
with appropriate tools and weaponry.
Field Agents take grooming and hygiene very seriously; they
are considered honoured members of the 1st Head and there
is a reputation and strict code to uphold. They are deemed the
best and thus should present oneself as such.
Unlike many types of SLA Operatives, Field Agents have no
real love of combat and they do not like the specialist Hyke
Armour to signify what they are; it is worn purely out of
necessity for most.
They are scholars and historians whose main goal is the
discovery (and ownership) of extraordinary artefacts. They
seek to find suitable forms of protection within the items they
uncover and strip away their bothersome armour and trappings.
Abilities
Sense Artefact - Naga Field Agents are subconsciously drawn
to artefacts whether they be Relics, Legendary Weapons, or
Cast Offs. When they arrive in planetary orbit of an artefact
they can roll 1d10+Luck and on a roll of 8 or better gain a
sense that an artefact is present. Once they make planetfall
they can attempt this test daily to gain an inkling of which
direction they should travel to find the nearest artefact.
Once the Field Agent is within 100m of the artefact they
can start making tests every hour. Most Field Agents use
supplemental research to determine places that are likely to
give better results and are not so patient to purely rely on this
talent.
Offensive Charm - Naga Field Agents are charming to a
fault and exude an air of arrogance and danger. A Field
Agent receives a +1 modifier to all Skill Dice for Bribery,
Interrogation, Intimidation and Persuasion rolls. This bonus
is not applied to other Naga 7 operatives, they know what
they’re dealing with.
Lifespan: 70 - 85 years
Height/Weight: 5.2 - 6.5 ft, 10-14st
Strengths: Well educated, resourceful and ambitious.
Weaknesses: Driven by covetousness, lacking empathy for
others. Greed often clouds their better judgement.
Assigned Equipment: Hyke Armour, BLA 710M Snubber
(2 Clips) SLA Blade, Rucksack, Blinder, Catalogue File,
1 or more airtight metal case(s) (for the containment of
Artefacts/Cast Offs)
205
The first goal, however, is to stop your newfound friends

AETHERNAUT from simply charging in, guns blazing and put their own
“Ease up, pal, you’ve had a bit of a turn. Not surprising lives at risk. They aren’t fighting Downtown gangs, or Allzil
really; you just had a run in with a rather nasty Cryptid ridden Carrien: these are Dream Entities and they are full
called August Clott and you almost died. Well, you would of surprises.
have if you hadn’t run away screaming. Background
Don’t worry, that’s a perfectly natural reaction when faced Aethernauts have existed in the World of Progress since its
with a twelve foot tall chappie made from dead flesh and inception. They represent the 6th head of the Naga and are
raw sewage who wants to pummel you into next Tuesday. widely regarded as the only affable and trustworthy branch
No, it’s alright, you’re not injured. You just passed out from of the entire Division.
the shock, but you might be encountering a slight headache. Most Aethernauts align with this sentiment and they
Here: have a mint, it’ll take your mind off the whole to-do.” themselves largely want as little as possible to do with other
Aethernaut Zerikaria, Naga 7 Division, 6th Head. branches as they perform their duties. Out of all the Naga’s
Heads, the 6th is the organisation that stands apart from the
Insight others since it fully intends to do good and if possible, secure
You are part of the new wave of Aethernauts. You have not safety in the World of Progress.
ventured out into the wider World of Progress like all the Initially, the Aethernauts originated from the 3rd Head,
legendary Aethers that came before you, but you grew up but they disagreed with the founder’s determination to
in the dark streets of Inner Downtown and you know all its destroy subjects and discoveries. They gradually migrated
shadows, its secret lore. their studies and procedures to the 6th Head, stripping
Like so many Civilians you have grown up in the presence themselves of power and sway for centuries.
of Dream Entities but they did not fill you with dread, but The Aethernauts explored all abnormalities in Territory
rather a sense of fascination and wonderment. You had no 3, but their primary focus was and still is, the study of
doubt that they were dangerous and shouldn’t be approached, Dream Entities. It is not simply an examination of the
but you couldn’t help but take a keen interest in their strange bizarre species’ biological diversity, rather the mechanisms
biology and behaviour. by which things are brought into existence. This makes the
The Dream Entities were thoughts made flesh and you work of the humble Aethernaut one of strangest and most
knew from a young age that their study and examination dangerous career paths in the World of Progress. For all
would be your lifelong obsession, all you had to do was be of its hazards, Aethernauts are explorers and researchers
accepted into SLA Industries and enter the ranks of Naga 7 first and combatants second. Much like the Neophron, they
Division. would much rather consider non violent means to resolve a
situation, even if it involves a Dream Entity.
You found that recruitment was surprisingly welcoming
considering what you’d heard about the company’s tough As the Dream Entity numbers swell in the Downtown
selection process. It turned out that very few desire to join Districts, so too must the Aethernaut Program expand and
the Aethernauts of the Naga’s 6th head. Much like the in 915sd. SLA Industries has begun to broaden its training
Sector Rangers, the Division draws in its own people. program and introduce an array of existing and modernised
field equipment.
The role of Aethernaut was not a glamorous one. It
required years of rigorous study and education and you At the beginning of the ninth century, Aethernauts were
were more than prepared for the gloomy field work in the exceptionally rare in the World of Progress, but entering
cold chambers of Lower Downtown, quietly watching and into The Changes, they are becoming a much more common
analysing your quarry. sight in Mort City.
But this was a new era, The Changes. After graduation Aethernauts enjoy being roving adventurers first and
you found yourself assigned to a Squad of Operatives. The foremost but also professors in the study of Dream Entities
Dream Entities were no longer lurking in the darkness of and arcane lore. If they stray too far from the parameters of
the lower Districts, they had permeated the streets and their duties they may be brought before a committee and
apartment blocks of densely populated areas. reprimanded. Those who fail to uphold the values and name
of the 6th Head may find themselves being stripped of their
The Operatives need your wisdom and support in
Aethernaut position.
eliminating the ongoing threat of the Dream Entity. It
saddens you that so much of your current BPNs will lead to Aethernauts prefer to avoid combat and the majority of
violence, you would much rather find a better way to resolve the weaponry and equipment is geared toward defensive
the issue and gain a greater understanding of these unusual strategies. In times past, Aethernauts worked alone, spending
and compelling beings. many months camped in the depths of Lower Downtown
patiently studying a specific Dream Entity, not engaging with
206
their quarry. However, newer 6th Head recruits must enter

Operative Squads and deal with a group of individuals who
are always cruising for a gunfight. Ops aren’t aware of what
might be required when dealing with the unconventional
Dream Entity threat. As time progresses the calm and
methodical approach of the humble Aethernaut will become
essential, as Dream Entities flood the streets of Downtown.
Appearance
Humans and more recently Neophrons gravitate toward
the Aethernaut role at Naga 7 Division. In the case of the
Neophron species, the 6th Head is the only agency that will
actively enrol them, since other Heads do not trust the avian
people and their incorruptible natures.
Neither species’ entrants into the 6th Head are the most
physically impressive specimens; they were selected for
their minds, not their brute strength. Nonetheless, most
Aethernaut recruits are hardly enough, especially if they have
to endure long stints doing research in Lower Downtown
and the Cannibal Sectors.
The other seemingly suitable species to become Aethernauts
would be the Ebonites but the 6th Head insist on their
applicant and serve staff don Aether Armour, meaning the
Ebons and Ebans recruit would have to forgo their Death
Suits and this tough choice dissuades all Ebonites.
The more combat oriented species are not so inclined
to enter the Aethernaut training and even the habitually
focussed and patient Shaktars find the profession does not
align with the Nation’s religion and ethos. The few that do
try to train as Aethernauts vacate the course in a few weeks
or months.
ADV Carrien likewise do not easily fit the Aethernaut
mould, but a gifted few find gainful employment as
AetherTrackers.
Abilities
Lifespan: Determined by Species
Height/Weight: Determined by Species
Strengths: Charismatic, generous and conscionable
personality type.
Weaknesses: Often has difficulty adapting to the
rambunctious Operative lifestyle, which is pervasive in
the World of Progress.
Assigned Equipment: Mk 2 Aether Armour, FOW
Staff Volt Gun (5 Clips), GA50 Finisher (2 Clips), SLA
Blade, BOOPA Medi-Kit, Tent, Rucksack, Sleeping Bag,
Blinder, Aethernaut Boon, Tin of Mister Minty’s Mints
(50 lozenges), Braddock’s Menagerie (12th Ed.)
207
to assessing range of scent and other latent abilities. It was

AETHERTRACKER discovered that these specialist Carrien could pick up the scent
“It is a derelict retail outlet now, but it was a Funhouse 2 of a Dream Entity from approx 15km, but they would have
days ago. I can see the coloured lights, I can hear the music that to trail select scents within 5km of a predicted AoI (Area of
was playing. Influence) before gradually picking up a specific quarry.
These Dream sensitive Carrien also had an innate hate for
Cotton candy. Popcorn. Now tears. The fear, then agony. The
these Entities and they were utterly resolute in hunting and
child died slowly; the Dream Entity took its time. Trace of other
taking down whatever target they were assigned. It was as
Entities. Probably Distorters. Yes, there is joy. Their joy. The
though they knew Dream Entities as their enemies from birth
audience. A clown car. Severed human fingers in sawdust. Blood
and once they reached full maturity their position within the
spray on dolls and teddy bears. Fake doors. Alarm, now. They
company was predestined.
played with her. No escape. None at all.
Naturally, Naga 7 Division took an immediate interest in
The last sound was laughter. Then it all disappeared.
these gifted individuals and after their initial scent tests the
Yes, I know this Dream Entity and he is Unfettered. Cyril select Carrien were to be shipped over for more focussed
Tummler, also known as Terror Tummler. He escaped me training in the various Dream Entity Bio Classifications and
before. He won’t escape me again. Lore education.
We start with the Distorters. I will draw them out. They die It was at first decided that the Carrien subjects be trained
first. Then we follow Cyrils tracks. by the 6th Head, alongside Aethernaut recruits. This however
He’s just getting started again. So are we.” proved somewhat fruitless; the Carrien were suitably attentive
whilst being taught the numerous Bio Classification and grew
AetherTracker ‘Groag’ - ADV Carrien, 3rd Head.
disinterested in the deeper Lore associated with Dream Entities
and their metaphysics. What the Carrien really wanted to know
Insight was the best and most effective way to hunt and kill Dream
The Aethernauts are fascinated by the Dream Entities and Entities. They fell out with Aethernauts
it makes no sense to you at all. Mort is full of monstrous Unlike most, the Dream sensitive Carrien did not get along
breeds that yearn to kill SLA’s people but they don’t get special with the Aethernaut compatriots. They grew impatient with
treatment. You’ll give the Dream Entities your own personal their slow and measured analysis and theology on the subject
brand of treatment… of Dream Entities. There were increasingly heated debates on
Dream Entities feed and grow on fear so cut the food supply. what should be the fate of Dream Entities, with Aethernauts
Do not give pause and wonder about their mythical origins or hoping to better understand their subjects and decipher if they
their exotic and horrific visage. The only thing that’s important could be rehabilitated.
in your mind about Cryptids and Titters or whatever else This so enraged the Carrien pupils that they had to be relocated
Downtown spawns is that they die and as quickly as possible. to an entirely different department to cease infighting.
You were picked because you aren’t impressed by Dream The Carrien found a new home in the schools of the 3rd Head,
Entities and they don’t scare you. You were then trained to hate known as the Observer, but Horas called for tougher measures
the living nightmares and seek the most effective way to wipe regarding their findings and this suited the Carrien just fine.
them from existence. You just want things to go back to the way
They were trained to be AetherTrackers - specialist Naga 7
things were, before a thought became sentience, before all the
Agents who hunted down Dream Entities and then slew them,
loose talk and the Helions they birthed.
using a variety of unique skills and weaponry.
You completed your education and Naga 7 kindly kitted you
An AetherTracker could be given a sample of bloodstained
out with the most up-to-date equipment and weaponry. They
cloth and glean from it the type of Entity that killed the victim,
knew you just wanted to get started but you need to slog through
even pick trace elements of the creature’s personality and events
Street Maintenance first. It won’t be long though before the
leading up to the murder. Once the AetherTracker had the
local Entities will be tasting your Fracture Blade.
scent and Dream indicators she could follow the trail to the
You’d prefer to work alone but SLA insists you be attached to beast’s lair and more importantly, know how to take it down.
an Op Squad: all very tiresome. Enough with the pleasantries,
Once the AetherTracker completed training she would be
you yearn for the hunt to begin. A new type of monster is soon
given a suit of the newly released Venator Armour, a credit
to descend on Downtown.
allowance to purchase a preferred firearm from SLA Industries
Background and the weapon they spent their entire education waiting for - a
As Karma labs spent more time raising and perfecting Carrien Fracture Blade.
pups to become ADV. Operatives, they started to notice It was time to teach the Dream Entities the true meaning of
something odd in a handful of their subjects. Roughly 1 in 120 fear.
Carrien young could sense Dream Entity material, whether it Appearance
be the black liquid they secrete when they die, or the skin of a
Dream Sac, or even a living, sentient Entity itself. At present, only members of the ADV. Carrien species have
the natural ability to sense Dream activity and thus can become
Upwards of a year were then spent testing every Carrien
AetherTrackers.
recruit for this unique ability and then another year devoted
208
Without their specialist armour and uniform there is little

to separate an AetherTracker from a typical ADV. Carrien.
Misereres of Naga’s 4th Head have claimed there are subtle
differences between the two, such as Trackers having narrower
snouts, or greyer skulls but this has yet to be substantiated.
Most apparent differences are in the personality and
mannerisms of AetherTrackers versus that of more conventional
members of the species. They do not have the same curiosity
for the world around them as other ADV Carrien; they are
focussed almost solely on the pursuit and elimination of their
Dream Entity target. In this regard they are closer to Wraithen
in nature but without the materialistic tendencies. All the
AetherTracker seeks is to be a more efficient hunter and killer.
AetherTrackers quickly lose much of their natural traits
during training that are commonly associated with Carrien,
Familiar Breed and Against All Odds. They are replaced with
honed abilities in the sensing and tracking of Dream Entities.
Species Abilities
Dreamhound - AetherTrackers are subconsciously drawn
to Dream Entities and their victims. When they arrive in
planetary orbit of a Dream Entity they can roll 1d10+Scent
and on a roll of 8 or better gain a sense that an Entity is
present. Once they make planetfall they can attempt this test
daily to gain an inkling of which direction they should travel
to find the nearest Entity. Once the Tracker is within 100m of
an Entity they can spend 1 Scent to make an additional roll.
Most Trackers tend to use supplemental research to determine
places that are likely to give better results and save their Scent
points till they have a general idea of where to look..
Retrocognition - The Retrocognition skill is a Concentration
skill used to witness the activities that a Dream Entity has
undertaken nearby. It costs 1 Scent to use it and a successful
roll will show the AetherTracker the last Dream Entity
attack that occurred within 50m. There is no limit as to time.
If the attack was 100 years ago, that’s what they’ll see in all
its gruesome glory. The details of the attack are usually sparse.
The AetherTracker might see the wounds on the bodies, or the
weapon of the Dream Entity as it strikes, if the Dream Entity
is prone to gory displays the AetherTracker might see these, but
it is only with Greater successes that the Aether Tracker can
tease out what type of entity performed the attack, whether it
had any allies or whether there was some twisted motive behind
the attack. If Retrocognition is used by an AetherTracker, any
Dreamhound tests made the next round will gain a +1 bonus for
every success rolled.
Lifespan: 45 - 55 years
Height/Weight: 6 - 6.5 feet
Strengths: Highly focussed in their task, will stop at nothing
to achieve their ends.
Weaknesses: Cold and ruthless, AetherTrackers suffer a
complete lack of empathy.
Assigned Equipment: Venator Armour, Fracture Blade,
1 or more airtight metal case(s) (for the containment of
Artefacts).
209
was the most limited and restricted of all trainable skills by

NAGA 7 SKILLS & TRAITS SLA Industries. It was believed that greater knowledge in
Dream Lore - Dream Lore covers the understanding of such arenas was extremely dangerous in the wrong hands
Dream Entities, focusing on their differing characteristics, and minds. This was largely true, as anyone incapable of
definitions and their abnormal biology and progressions. handling such sensitive information resulted in contracting
A person with this skill can identify the tell tale signs of The Grey. The result was the invention of Cloak Division
Dream Entity activity, their preferred habitations and and D notices, both created to stem the flow of controversial
manner in which they develop, hunt and kill. Dream Lore info but now, in the era of The Changes that restriction has
is a Knowledge based skill. brought about disastrous results.
Mald University Alumnus (3 ranks BA/MA/PhD) - The SLA Industries has gradually started to introduce Naga
Students at Mald University are exposed, gently, to the many 7 Division active personnel to low level training and
and varied metaphysical epistemological and ontological explanation of Secret World. This is mostly granted to just
issues underlying the World of Progress. Through attending the Aethernauts and Field Agents; the AetherTrackers
a period of study at MU the student learns to remain show little interest in the deeper meaning and complexities
steadfast when faced with these issues and is encouraged of how truths have generated so much disarray, they simply
to remain in contact with fellow alumni. Each rank of want access to just enough intel that will allow them to
Mald University Alumnus grants the character a different destroy their assigned foes.
honorific, a rank 1 alumnus contact and the opportunity to Most education is delivered carefully and meticulously
learn 1 rank in a Secret World Skill. It’s important to note with interspersed intervals through the course of training
that no one can ever learn more Secret World skill ranks in the Blackwood Institute. Further research into the
than their CONC and stay sane. various subject matters is forcibly discouraged, leading
Being a Mald University Alumnus costs 3 points per rank. to an increase in the skill purely through BPNs and life
experiences, during employment in SLA Industries.
Secret World Skills - The Secret World is the catch-all
name pertaining to study of the metaphysical makeup of As the individual learns more about the Secret World,
the universe, its inner workings and other abstract concepts advanced knowledge breaks off into sub categories each of
that were once considered the truth. Until very recently this which is covered by a separate skill specification.
210
Secret World Skills are Cool based skills and any character
with one of them will be aware of the general themes of the
NAGA 7 HARDWARE
other specifications. While characters are free to theorise,
they cannot make a Skill Test unless they have the correct MELEE WEAPONS
specification and any conjecture they make in these areas FOW Staff
will likely be completely wrong, even if, perhaps especially
if, they’re right. “See this? Yeah, it’s a FOW staff ... that’s right. Eff Off
Specifications include: Abyssal Philosophy, Builder Wally! Now back off before I spark ‘er up!”
Biographies, Outer Territory Sociology, Pan-territorial - Aethernaut Erwin, Naga 7 Division, 6th Head.
Archaeology.
Learning Secret World Skills - It is recommended that The FOW Staff is the primary form of attack of the
only Mald University Alumni be allowed to learn Secret Aethernauts. The acronym is something of a misnomer, the
World Skills, but if as GM you wish to expose other PCs official title being Fusion/Oscillation Weapon, but the 6th
to these skills, it is recommended that you discuss the cost Head know it simply as the Force of Will staff.
of this knowledge with them prior to them spending XP or The FOW is a curious looking weapon, appearing as a
points. It is very appropriate for characters “In the know” strange mix of taser and monkey wrench. An electrical
to have some form of Psychosis, which as GM you might charge runs between two emitters at the tip of the staff. The
choose to provide free of charge. damage dealt is a combination of three factors – the electrical
Expense account (Trait - 5 points) - The character can make energy it discharges, the weapon’s weight when swung and
reimbursable expenditures of up to 100c per rank in the most importantly, the Dream Entity’s belief in the weapon’s
Admin & Finance skill without a test. Expenditures of up power. The Entity recognises it as a source of pain and injury,
to 1000c per rank are possible with an Admin & Finance much the same way it fears electricity. The staff causes extra
Skill Test. The difficulties of such tests are based on the damage to the Dream Entity plainly because the creature
mission appropriateness of the expenditure. Particularly believes it will. The excessive damage follows the same logic
successful Field Agents may find themselves gaining the and principles as the monster it was built to destroy.
Trait - Black Card which can be awarded up to three times, Naga 7 Division have rightly striven to maintain the secret
but never purchased with experience. Each rank increases as much as possible. The weapon’s reputation as the bane of
the expenditure caps by 1 order of magnitude (A rank 3 the earliest form of Dream Entities: the Ethereals, dates
black card will let you spend 100,000c on a bagel and bottle back to the Formation Era and its deadly status is evident
of Chateau Petit Noir and call it a business lunch). today when wielded against Dream Entities. Of course,
Starting Skills most Dream Entity Masters are now aware of the weapon’s
trick and are no longer subject to its unique injury. For such
Starting skills are based on the species of the Naga 7 creatures the FOW staff only causes standard DMG.
employee with the following additions based on their roles.
AetherTrackers use ADV Carrien while Field Agents and FOW STAFF Cost: NA
Aethernauts use, usually, Human as a base. Skill: Melee Weapon

Naga Field Agent DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
Admin & Finance: 2 Diplomacy: 1 1d10-3 2 2 1
Interrogation: 1 Intimidation: 2 Stunner: A hit from a Stunner that causes the loss
Lore: Dream: 1 Pistol: 1 of 1 or more Hit Points will also inflict the stunned
condition for 1 minute. Against Dream Entities,
Aethernaut Stunners are considered to have the Fracture Weapon
Detect: 2 Diplomacy:1 ability but Dream Entities gain a +2 to their roll
to disregard it. Stunned Dream Entities can still
Education: Academic: 1 Lore: Dream 2
make the test to dispel the Stunner and hence end
Melee weapons: 1 Streetwise: 1 the stunned condition should this be successful.
AetherTracker
Dream Lore: 1 Melee Weapons: 2
Polearms: 1 Stealth: 2
211
Fracture Weapons When inactive the Fracture Blade is little more than a
ceramic rod, but when powered up the blade section bursts
Fracture Weapons will work on even the most advanced into a flurry of ever shifting and exploding polygonal
Dream Entities and Ethereals. Modern day Aethermen are material. The Fracture Blade’s edge is highly kinetic and will
offered both the FOW Staff, or the Fracture equivalent. easily shred anything it strikes, up to and including Dream
Many will still opt for the traditional FOW staff because Entities in their Aeriform figures.
the 6th Head only consider lethal force as the last possible
Most spectators unfamiliar are deeply unsettled by this new
alternative, but Trackers from the 1st Head show no such
weapon gracing Mort’s streets. It is difficult to exactly define
hesitation.
what is being seen.
Fracture Weapons are not presently for general sale to
The weapon was developed by Naga 7 Division and was
Operatives and even now they remain quite a rare sight,
originally titled the Detric Lacerator Sword, but was
even on Mort. The only way to acquire these vastly updated
changed to the Fracture Blade just prior to release. Naga 7
weapons is to have them assigned to you by departments like
Divisionis confident that it will replace the traditional FOW
Naga 7 (although it was not invented by them; that honour
Staff, which is now proving less effective with more advanced
goes directly to Stigmartyr) and at present there are only two
Dream Entities.
models available - the updated FOW staff and a blade which
bares a close resemblance to a roman style gladius (prefered
by Trackers).
“It was when I saw the Fracture Blade activated for the
first time I knew we were living in a different time, in the There is, however, no deception with the Fracture Blade
era of The Changes. I didn’t quite know I was looking at - it is not designed to injure or threaten, it is designed to
it and it sorta hurt my head to those rapidly shifting and eviscerate the enemies of SLA Industries.
twisting polygonal shapes and that low ambient hiss of the
FRACTURE BLADE Cost: NA
kinetic shapes colliding with one another.
Skill: Melee Weapon
I asked the AetherTracker how that horrid looking thing
works and he said I didn’t want to know. DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
I think he may be right.” 1d10+4 8 2 1
Vilhildra ‘Quicksilver’ Sihilann, Ebon Operative, Fracture Weapon
SCL 6b, Squad ‘Dusty Lavender’
Fracture Staff
Fracture Weapons specific rules: Fracture Weapons FRACTURE Staff Cost: NA
cover a variety of weapons with pandimensional and
Skill: Polearm
placebo effects capable of affecting the more esoteric
creatures within the World of Progress. Dream Entities, DMG Min DMG AD WEIGHT
denizens from White Earth and indeed other similar 2d10-4 8 3 1
horrors are for the most part affected as if the weapon was
made of the same substances as them. Fracture Weapon
Dream armour confers no protection against a Fracture
Weapon, any ability that mitigates damage is also ignored
and upon a successful blow against a Dream Entity the
damage dealt is doubled.
Regrettably, some of the brighter creatures are getting
wise to this trick. Creatures with a Cult or Dream Lore
Skill bonus greater than 6 can take an action to roll
1d10+Know and on a result of 13 or more treat that RANGED WEAPONS
specific weapon as if it didn’t have the Fracture Weapon Volt Gun
rule for the rest of the fight.
The Volt Gun is specifically designed to hold and fire 10mm
Fracture Blade Hotline bullets. It is primarily used by Naga 7 personnel
The Fracture Blade is a weapon exclusive to when dealing with highly aggressive Dream Entities, but
AetherTrackers. It is not available to other members of Naga it will incapacite or dissuade other beings that potentially
7 Division (without specific clearance from The Authority), threaten the Aethernaut.
nor is it available to purchase by Operatives of any SCL.
212
The Volt Gun is designed for a singular purpose and Blinder

munition type and this cannot be simply loaded with regular
10mm rounds. The Blinder emits a blinding white flash of light which is
intended to dazzle and disorient an aggressive Dream Entity
Like many of the early arsenal of the Aethernaut, the Volt
and grant the Aethernaut a brief window to evade the hostile
Gun is gradually becoming outmoded as Dream Entities of
encounter. Aethernauts always have their Blinder close by
Mort City become ever more advanced and wise to the
(usually attached to the chest plate of their Aether Armour)
misleading effects of electricity.
and is to date their most preferred method of defence. It is
Now in its third variant model, the Volt Gun has gone an effective deterrent and does not injure the Dream Entity,
from an accidental side effect to the standard sidearm for whom the Aethernaut may still wish to communicate with
combating Dream Entities. during a subsequent encounter.
Its steady rate of fire and the capacity to overwhelm Power The Blinder can also be useful against other denizens
Armour allows Aethernauts to take on any challenge with a wandering Downtown, such as Carrien, Rats and
chance of evasion. Right up until it didn’t anymore. Carnivorous Pigs, who are equally disturbed by the flash of
As with the FOW staff, the electrical attacks of its blinding light.
Hotline ammunition have started to lose efficacy against The Blinder device is about the size of a handheld torch
the more advanced Entities out there. Rumour amongst the and weighs ½ kilos. It requires (4 combat turns) for the bulbs
Aethernauts suggest that a fourth variant can’t be far away, to cool down after a single burst of light and can be triggered
though whether it’s going to be reduced in size, replaced five times before needing a 30 minute recharge from a wall
with a Shaktar Ion weapon, or even transformed into a socket.
lightweight carbine firing Fracture bullets depends entirely
on the Aethernaut and the amount of beer and fanciful ideas Blinder Cost: NA
they’ve had that evening. Skill Demolitions
The present version is available as both a sidearm and as an DMG MinDMG AD Weight
underbarrel attachment for the GA Finisher.
1d10 0 0 0
Volt Gun Cost: NA
Blast
Skill: Pistol ROF Recoil Clip Clip Cost
radius
DMG MinDMG AD Weight 1 0 Special 5 N/A
1d10-4 2 2 1 When detonated the Blinder forces all targets
within range to roll 1d10+DEX. If this roll is less
than the Damage rolled then the target is blinded
1 1 40m 20 N/A for 2 Combat rounds. After this all Skill Tests
Stunner: A hit from a Stunner that causes the loss reliant on sight suffer a penalty equal to the damage
of 1 or more Hit Points will also inflict the stunned rolled. This penalty decreases by 2 every Combat
condition for 1 minute. Against Dream Entities, Round. Note most suits of armour have polarised
Stunners are considered to have the Fracture Weapon filters so PV is applied to the Blinder as normal.
ability but Dream Entities gain a +2 to their roll
Blinders have a sliding cover so that it can either
to disregard it. Stunned Dream Entities can still
affect a 90, 180 or 360 degree area of effect. At
make the test to dispel the Stunner and hence end
90 or 180 degrees it has a radius of effect equal
the stunned condition should this be successful.
to 10m, but at 360 degrees the lack of a reflecting
The Volt Gun uses specialised ammunition mirror decreases the Blast radius to 5m.
which is not readily available.
ARMOUR
“900 years old and yes they do look anachronistic, but

what else has survived so long? The new model 2 suits and
its cousins the Venator and Hyke should serve Naga with
distinction for as long as 1+1=2 and night follows day.”
Professor Charles S Finch, Naga 7 Division, 1st Head.
213
Aether Armour MK 1
With a construction harkening back to the Formation
Era, the Aether Armour has been in service since the first
Ethereals emerged on Mort. As powerful as a PP10, when it
debuted it was the very pinnacle of body armour.
Alas, times have changed and it has long since been eclipsed
by other armours far better suited for combat. Where it
shines lies in the protection it grants against Ethereal Magic
and of course, the effects of a Grey Zone.
Utilisers of the 5th Head are very guarded regarding how
the suit protects the wearer from more esoteric threats. There
are plenty of suppositions about the suit’s materials and the
fluids in its many tubes, but its efficacy is never in doubt.
An Aethernaut can brave the worst weather or stand in the
worst sludges of downtown sewers and not be affected.
SLA Industries ceased the production of the original

Aether Armour and some of its abstruse workings are lost to
time, with the remaining suits in gradual decline.
MARK 2 AETHER ARMOUR Cost: NA
8 24 3
Medium Aether Armour, Chemically Resistant.
Venator Armour
Venator Armour is a powered suit of armour exclusive
to AetherTrackers. It has been developed by Naga 7
in conjunction with Power Projects and bears a strong
resemblance to Crackshot Armour, but the Venator Armour
AETHER ARMOUR Cost: NA issued to new recruits is lighter and offers less protection.
PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT This however can be upgraded as the AetherTracker advances
in SCL and expends creds on improvements.
6 18 4
Venator Armour has inbuilt cloaking abilities that make
Heavy Aether Armour, Chemically Resistant.
the wearer difficult to detect by Dream Entities.
Aether Armour Mk 2
VENATOR ARMOUR MK 1 Cost: 2500c
Aether Armour is a relatively new addition to the Naga 7
Division’s defensive equipment, introduced to the 6th Head PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT
Aethernauts during The Changes. Cosmetically, it is slightly 6 20 0
more modern and with a variety of moulds which cater to Venator Weave, Light Aether Armour.
different species, although the majority of such manufacture
is geared towards Neophrons. VENATOR ARMOUR MK 2 Cost: 4000c
Beyond the cosmetic revisions MK 2 it isn’t quite as arcane PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT

as the MK 1 variant, but is tougher in the physical sense. 8 24 0
The reasoning for this is with so many new recruits in the
Aethernaut Program being assigned to Op Squads there Venator Weave, Light Aether Armour.
is a greater likelihood that the Aethernaut will encounter
increased combat situations.
214
NAGA 7 Armour Rules

Aether Armour: Aether Armours are available in Light,
Medium and Heavy Options. Against Dream Entity and
Rift weapon attacks; Light suits have a PV 5, Medium
have PV 10 and Heavy have PV 15. In addition to this,
for the purposes of resisting Dream Entity attacks, Light
suits grant +2 Cool, Medium +3 Cool and Heavy +4 Cool.
Chemically resistant: These suits are often needed in the
worst of environments with bulky rubber coatings to keep
chemicals and infectious waste at bay. So long as the suit
is worn, all IR tests gain a +2 bonus and DEX is at -1.
Venator Weave: Dream Entities find the Venator series
of armours hard to directly look at. Any attack at range
suffers a -1 penalty and Detect Skill Tests made to find
a suit roll 1 less dice than normal. As this is a function
of the suits internal protective weave, the suit can use all
other common camouflage technologies.
Hyke Armour
Hyke Armour is an exclusive top of the line suit of powered Upon encountering a Lure, a Dream Entity must make
armour for the executive field operative. Designed to exceed a Strenuous Dream Lore Skill Test or spend an hour
the functionality of Aether Armour in a sleek modern investigating the Lure. After an hour it can leave, but every
package, it is as suitable for the boardroom as it is for the day after it must take an additional Complex Dream Lore
most harrowing field excursion. Hyke armour contains Skill Test or return to continue its investigation for another
advanced biological support mechanisms that are second to hour. Once it has investigated for a number of hours equal
none as well as memetic filters to protect its wearer from the to its CONC stat it will lose interest in the Lure.
worst that the World of Progress has to throw at them. Booby trapping a Lure requires the Demolitions skill and a
HYKE ARMOUR Cost: NA suitably unreasonable explosive.
PV RESISTANCE WEIGHT Catalogue File
7 20 2 Aethernauts maintain vast collections of notebooks.
Medium Aether Armour, Chemically Every last musing or theory, doodles of cryptid footprints
Resistant, RS device. and details of the cases they pursue. These notebooks are
stored in chemically resistant plastic ziplock bags so that the
OTHER EQUIPMENT conditions of the Aethernaut don’t damage the notes within.
When an Aethernaut is not travelling these notes will be
Lure written or typed up and presented for Naga’s database -
Ever since the first encounters with Dream Entities it has Catalogue.
been noticed that they are prone to curiosity. Incongruous Recently, the Division has requested that Aethernauts turn
items placed with pseudo reverence often draw them in to in their old notebooks for analysis as occasionally the format
Investigate. of text written in an emergency allows for the discovery of
This is not some mystical effect but more a case of the psychological elements that might fail to transition into the
Entity wondering “What’s that they’ve left there?” There more sterile reporting of documents prepared away from
are several common Lures, the jar of blood surrounded by ongoing research.
salt and the painted Carrien skull torch being two of the
more common ones. Regardless of its form the Entity will
be drawn not just to look it over, but to return to it, test it in
all manner of ways and spend days ascertaining its meaning
and purpose.
While it has been suggested that Aethernaut could easily
booby trap these Lures, the concern that this might stop
them from working efficiently means that this is only ever
done in the closing minutes of a hunt.
215
It is left up to the GM whether any particular file adds Within its pages Aethernaut Braddock compiled scores
any insight when pursuing a Dream Entity. A +1 bonus for of priceless information on strains of Dream Entities,
tracking a named Cryptid or similar certainly wouldn’t be theoretical speculations which are now considered fact, in-
unreasonable. depth study of legendary Entities and copious amounts of
anatomical sketches of the Dream Entities he witnessed.
Catalogue Transmitter
He is deeply controversial within Naga 7 because his
Catalogue Transmitters are a relatively new addition collected findings were not exclusively filed with Catalogue
to the Aethernaut’s gear. Now that 6th Head’s agents are and he sought out a Downtown publisher to provide a print
journeying deeper into more perilous locations like Lower run of his manuscript.
Downtown and The Deep Construct they may not be able
This was at the time a relatively simple procedure, as Naga
to deliver their handwritten findings into Catalogue so many
7 had yet to ingratiate themselves into SLA Industries once
Aethernauts carry around a rather clunky antiquated radio
more and Aethernaut Braddock could operate with relative
transmitter and send reports directly to the Division in Head
impunity. Braddock’s Menagerie saw some brief exposure
Office.
and circulation but at the time his book was deemed the
The device itself was designed and manufactured long ago, ramblings of a crackpot.
along with all the other classic items worn and owned by the
It was in 704sd that Braddock disappeared altogether and
earliest Aethernauts. The Catalogue Transmitter was usually
has never been seen since, leading to perpetual speculation as
only carried by Aethernauts entering a War World and the
to his fate. Most believe that Braddock was assassinated by a
risk to life was at its highest.
high ranking SLA Operative, or that Naga 7 simply sought
The Catalogue Transmitter looks like an old fashioned retribution for his cavalier attitude regarding the secrecy of
transistor radio, complete with blue glowing channel dial his research material.
and receiver connecting to the main device via copper
Others think that he fell foul of a Dream Entity during his
wire cabling and all decked out in nickel inlay on brushed
observations, although in more recent times a more fanciful
copper panelling. The newer models lack the original copper
notion has been presented, that Braddock discovered the
finish and the casing is replaced with steel. Despite this, the
Deep Construct on his journey and was drawn into its
Catalogue is still instantly recognisable to the trained eye
depths forever.
and a true marvel; an object d’art from a bygone time.
Whilst Braddock has long since vanished the work itself
“The Transmitter is so laughably outdated in the year was finally embraced by Naga 7 Division, although the
915sd. I mean look at that thing. But I tell you, that Aethernaut branch of the organisation guard its content.
ridiculous box works better than any headset receiver SLA Over time Braddock’s Menagerie has gradually become a
produces today.
It doesn’t matter where the Aethernauts go in the World of
Progress or how deep into Lower Downtown they travel,
they always have direct, albeit crackly access to Catalogue.
It’s pretty weird.”
Hugh ‘Button Cat’ Kane, Human Operative
- Squad ‘Fight me, I’m daft.’
Braddock’s Menagerie
Initially written in 689sd ‘Braddock’s Menagerie’ is widely
regarded as the most informed and invaluable field guide
to be documented on the subject of Dream Entities. It was
created by the controversial Aethernaut Braddock, who
toured much of the World of Progress in search of those
fabled creatures. It is believed he coined the term ‘Integrated’
regarding transition Entities (which was a prediction at the
time, that inevitably came true), based heavily on research
conducted during his travels into Conflict Space and
encounters with Ethereals.
Ultimately he returned to Mort late in the sixth Century
and spent many years lurking undetected in Lower
Downtown where he began work on his field guide, which
he called simply ‘The Menagerie’.
216
collaborative effort, with countless Aethernauts adding and Most of it was just plain weird and much like the armour,
revising the material without taking any formal credit. It is we didn’t have no use for it. The strangest thing, though, was
always Braddock’s book, first and foremost. this device that was attached to the back of his neck. Looked
The most recent 12th edition of Braddock’s Menagerie is like some kinda high tech implant. I managed to cut it off
part of the Aethernaut’s starting equipment. It is considered and then spent an hour trying to crack it open.
the definitive edition by some, in truth, the field guide After a while I just got this thumper of a headache and I
will never be complete by design. With each passing day gave up and chucked the damn thing. Probably fuck all in it
Aethernauts are discovering new categories and information anyway.
pertaining to Dream Entities and it surely won’t be long I liked those mints he had on him, though.”
before a 13th edition is announced by the 6th Head.
DarkNight Agent Abott, The Good Luck Gang.
“Braddock was an interesting character and is well respected
Darkly Mask
in the 6th Head. He was a bloke who took chances and not
much would prevent him from doing the right thing. He The Darkly Mask, as it is known, is a largely
was in possession of some strange pendant, probably a Cast featureless cloudy, grey/black helmet
Off, that let him access Mort undetected. worn by Aethernauts. The mask has a
It could just be part of the legend or myth surrounding him, vague reflective surface resembling
or perhaps the Boss just let him in to do the good work of all dull glass and when scrutinised up
Aethernauts and didn’t get in his way. Performed his duties close, causes the viewer’s reflection
to the fullest, told The Authority to go stuff themselves and to twist and distort. It has no real
delivered one of the finest bestiaries on Dream Entities in effect on natural organic creatures,
the World of Progress. but it can deceive and mislead
Dream Entities.
Nice one, Braddock.“
The Darkly Mask leads the
Aethernaut Buxton, 6th Head, Naga 7 Division.
uninitiated Dream Entity to believe
it is in the presence of another of
RS Device
its kind. The mask aids in building
A ceramic, powered implant located on the temporary bonds and discourse with less
base of the neck or more recently installed advanced Dream Entities, allowing the Aethernaut to glean
into the helmet of Hyke Armour. information about the region and threat levels.
The RS device is the technology that Initially, the Darkly Mask was intended as the standard
separates Naga 7 personnel from issue headwear upon the Aether Armour, but its limited
other employees of SLA industries. applications deemed it a secondary item and the engineers
The technology itself is a housing for opted for a more traditional powered protective helmet
an elaborate 12 dimensional equation. instead.
It is designed to look like a technically
The Darkly Mask has become a far less common item in
advanced device akin to a BOOPA drug
the Aethernaut’s array of equipment in recent years and only
injector so that suspicion is deflected. How this
around 10% of new 6th Head recruits are issued them. The
equation provides a metaphysical anchor for the
reason being advanced Dream Entity simply do not fall for
Aethernaut or Field Agent is poorly understood
the ruse anymore, but will often pretend to be taken in and
outside the highest echelons of Naga 7 and
draw their Aethernaut prey within striking distance with
even characters with 4 ranks in Dream Lore will
their guard down.
merely know what it is rather than how it works.
One thing is certain, however it does it, the equation The Darkly Mask will still work, however, on fresh, less
works. experienced Dream Entities such as Apparitions (Flickers,
Shadows, etc.) and assorted Helions.
Once implanted any powers whether Ebb, Ethereal or
Dream Entity related will be unable to affect the mind of When worn the Darkly Mask will force a Dream Entity
the Aetherman. The RS device also allows the Aethernauts to make a Complex Dream Lore Skill Test with a penalty
to explore or leave reality distortions at will and ignore the equal to the Aethernaut’s ranks in Dream Lore. If this test
effects of Mr Minty Mints. fails then the Dream Entity will fully believe the Aethernaut
to be another Dream Entity.
“I found an Aether guy’s body in Lower Downtown. Looked This will allow the Aethernaut to interrogate or otherwise
like some Cryptid got him; he was all torn up. We couldn’t do interact with the Entity. Every five minutes that the mask
anything with his armour as it was in too bad shape, but the is used with a Dream Entity it can try this test again. If the
Entity hadn’t taken much interest in his other stuff. test is ever successful that entity will never be fooled by that
217
mask again. This is usually a moot point as most Entities QuickKill Tablets Cost: NA
react poorly to being fooled and will invariably attack.
TOXICANT IR 16
QuickKill Tablets
VECTORS Ingestion
The regions which the Aethernaut must traverse are
EFFECTS Drowsiness
fraught with perils beyond the threat of Dream Entities, In
Downtown there is always the risk of being trapped beneath PROGRESSION Death within 15 seconds
collapsed masonry and support structures, falling prey to a TREATMENT Treatment Rating 7 - Antidote
tortuous Greater Carrien, or even falling into the hands of
the Shi’An cult. Grey Zone Stencil and Spray Cans
Sometimes the Aethernaut’s equipment is not readily Aethernauts must carry around a standard issue Grey Zone
available and his cunning cannot get him out of a tight spot and Spray Cans (Black, White and Grey). If the Aethernaut
and he must resort to a terminal remedy. bears witness to locals displaying symptoms of the Grey
All Aethernauts are issued a pack of QuickKill tablets that virus, or increased levels of Dream Entity activity in a
will end the Aethernaut’s suffering in a matter of seconds. densely populated area, or the clear appearance of Rainfolk,
QuickKill promises a swift, painless death - guaranteed. they must immediately mark the walls of the location with
the dreaded Grey Zone Logo.
Despite this rather morose item being standard issue to all
Aethernauts, there has yet to be one recorded instance of Aethernauts always try to display a certain degree of
an Aethernaut resorting to this final option, but it is always caution and reserve when applying the logo to a region since
better to have the choice than not. it can result in a death warrant for many, if not all of its
inhabitants. Yet, the truth is, it may be a merciful relief if the
A pack of 5 QuickKill tablets is always concealed within infection has actually taken hold.
the armoured collar of the Aether Armour. Similarly, an
injectable antidote can always be found in the opposite collar. As a result, the Aethernaut will be highly specific in
marking the expanse of the Grey Zone, which may only
218
be localised to a tower block, or street. He will then ensure

nearby neighbours do not enter into the Zone until he or
Ops assigned a Cyan BPN have nullified the infection area.
Warning Tape
Aethernauts apply Warning Tape to a ‘hot location’ they’re
working in and now that the populace is more familiar with
the frightening duties of the 6th Head, everyone knows to
steer well clear once they see the blue/grey cordon spread
across the entrance to a civilian block.
Warning Tape usually means that the Aethernaut is
fighting to prevent the location from descending into a Grey
Zone and as the hours pass the neighbourhood nervously
The packaging for Mr Minty’s Mints has not changed
sweats it out and hope he emerges from the building and
at all over the centuries and still bears the visage of Mr
simply removes the tape, as opposed to spraying the Grey
(Maxwell Marshal) Minty himself on the tin face (who looks
Zone logo on the front of the building...
somewhat like Jack Frost). Aethernauts insist this figure
remains unaltered as Minty’s smiling face is a signifier of
STANDARD EQUIPMENT & SUNDRIES trust and comfort - something they’ve gone to some lengths
These are the standard items that are issued to the to encourage and cultivate in the minds of the sufferer and
Aethernaut prior to assignment, once they are out in the Mort’s collective consciousness.
field, Aethernauts will invariably pick up other assorted Not unlike the famous SLA Operative’s KIippo, Mr
items in their travels which aid in their quest, or just make Minty’s Mints tins are something of a collector’s item,
their lives a little more comfortable. All these items need despite still being produced they are unavailable in Mort
to do is fit in the Aethernaut’s trusty rucksack and do not City retail. Only Aethernauts have access to the purchase of
weigh him down too much. Minty’s tins. They only occasionally end up in the possession
Aethernauts will of course try to obtain a small keepsake of a SLA Operative or Shiver whom an Aethernaut just
from every tour they perform and complete; something that happened to like. Shivers in particular never part with the
will serve as a nice reminder of completed cases. This may treasured Mr Minty tins that they’ve been gifted.
be a glass ornament, or an old photo which served as an MR MINTY’s MINTS Cost N/A
influence to a developing Dream Entity. The possibilities are
too varied to mention, but each trinket will have a fascinating EFFECT: -1 to Initiative +3 Bonus on
story behind it. MR tests to resist Stage 1
Grey infection, All uses of
Items include: Tent and Sleeping Roll, Backpack, Water
Charisma based skills gain a +2
Purifier, Torch, Freeze-dried Food, Water Flask, Portable
modifier to their success Dice
Stove, Distress Flares, Canister of Pig Mace, Portable
when targeting the patient.
Charger, Mac Knife, Ammunition, Notebooks, Pack of Pens,
SLA Klippo lighter, Tea. ADDICTION
5 Every 3 doses
RATING:
Mr Minty’s Mints
ADDICTION
Every 48 hours
“Here comes Mr Minty! He’s the -mintiest mint- who ever DOSE:
was a mint!” DETOX EFFECT: -1 COOL
Mr Minty’s advertising jingle, circa 12sd.
Note: Aethernauts are immune to the Effects of Mr
These are little tins of mint lozenges that are frequently Minty Mints (see RS Device).
found among the equipment and supplies of Aethernauts. GA50 Finisher
They secretly perform a greater function than just freshening
the breath. Aethernauts will offer these candies to anyone When an Aethernaut is about to embark on a long tour
suffering the early effects of a Grey Zone, or simply feeling of Lower Downtown they will always arm themselves
mounting anxiety when encountering the surreal and with a SLA manufactured automatic rifle. This additional
abstract realities of Dream Entities, the Shi’An and other weapon is purely attained as a precaution and chances are
such abnormalities. high the Aethernaut will run into Carrien, or Carnivorous
pigs. There is also the unpredictable threat of the Lower
It goes beyond a quick distraction; the mints contain a mild
Downtown Citizen and while the Aethernaut will always
tranquilliser and other chemicals which make the consumer
more susceptible to the Aethenaut’s guidance.
219
try to avoid deadly combat, a lethal encounter is sometimes

inescapable.
BPN COINS
The preferred weapon of choice is a GA50 Finisher, as In recent months there has been a growing discontent
it is light weight and cost effective. It works well enough amongst SLA Operatives who are finding it harder and
against unarmoured targets and anything tougher gives the harder to make ends meet. Starting Operatives, especially,
Aethernaut just enough time to make his escape. Killing the are finding themselves only just able to afford a one room flat
opponent has never been the Aethernaut’s objective. between them, in less salubrious parts of the city.
GA Finishers issued by Naga 7 Division come with an There are many murmurs of how it was much easier only
under barrel sliding rail to incorporate the Volt Gun as an a few years back, when the yesteryear squads were living
under barrel weapon and feature a laser sight as standard. in houses in higher level Districts of Downtown. SLA
Industries is beginning to recognise the issues and as such
When configured in this fashion it makes for quite a heavy
has developed a number of strategies to be released over the
weapon which is not always popular with more academic
next few years to take the pressure off and slightly redress
Aethernauts but having all options available is something
the balance.
that can make up for the inconvenience. Almost universally
the Aethernaut would prefer a permanent, lighter attached The first of these initiatives is the BPN Coin system.
weapon akin to the BLA GAG60 Driller’s Bolt Thrower but Simply put, Operatives now have the option to purchase a
all senior management will say on the matter is “We’ll take commemorative coin when they complete their first BPN of
it under advisement”. a given colour. These coins can be used to gain discounts at
stores and other such ‘member only’ benefits.
Note: The GA finisher is detailed in SLA Industries 2nd Unexpectedly, these coins also have become something of a
Edition - page 154. collector’s item, passing hands for significantly more money
Aethernaut Boon than the Operative can purchase them for.
Sometimes referred to as a Nexus Medallion, the Boon is COMMON BPN COINS

a small metal disc with the symbol of the Naga emblazoned
on either side. When an individual or group has earned the Notes: Coin Cost is the cost an Operative is charged
respect of an Aethernaut he may gift them a Boon, which to buy the coin after completing a BPN of that colour.
they can present to any other Aethernaut, who is honour Retail Price is the price that a Dealer will sell the coin for.
bound to give his services to their cause. Dealers will offer 25%-50% of Retail cost depending on
This boon comes with a few stipulations; the terms of a Haggle Skill Test. To gain the given perk the Operative
service must come within the parameters of the Aethernaut’s needs to show the retailer both the BPN Coin and their
profession (ie. investigating or nullifying a Dream Entity Operative ID.
threat), the boon holder cannot demand that the Aethernaut
partake in a crime as recognised by SLA Industries and BPN Level (Operative Coin Retail
that the medallion must be given to the accompanying Only Perk) Cost Price
Aethernaut at the moment of completion of the request. Blue (10% off of the ‘Big
5c 120u
When found on the grey market they command a price Smile Meal of the Day’)
as steep as 2500u as Aethernauts are prone to confiscating White (5% off of ‘Dave Beer’
them when they are found for sale. 15c 400u
& ‘Weird Alien’ clothing)
Yellow (A free table and one
20c 500u
free drink at ‘The Pit’)
Red (10% off of ‘FEN’ products) 15c 500u
Grey (Free table service at
50c 1000u
all Myriad Corp. venues)
Jade (5% off of ‘Science Friction’
15c 500u
and ‘GASH’ products)
220
Territory operates broadly on its own, evolving and growing

OUTER TERRITORIES independent to the Builder’s initial direction.
“The Naga Society briefly glimpsed the Inner Abyss and all Naga 7 Division has pieced together information to develop
became clear. a narrative on what may have come before and a terminology
used to denote who made what and what exists where.
We saw the Territories and that we reside within a tree-
like network, spiralling up through history. Not simply INNER ABYSS
our history here on Territory 3, or our five neighbouring
Territories, lovingly bound by Dr Crantham. Not even The Inner Abyss is Naga 7 Division’s term for the Territory
Territory Zero, upon which he resides. collective, spanning an indeterminate period of time and an
We recognise all histories, winding down through the great expanse of space. Most of their theories on the Inner Abyss
Inner Abyss, galvanised by countless Builders, with each are largely conjecture, but based on their native Territory
Territory spawning its own offspring. and those adjacent. They do not know for certain the full
Upwards, upwards, we spin. extent of the Inner Abyss, or how many Territories there are
in existence.
This is tremendous machinery that powers existence; a
collaborative effort, if you will. Yet as we sit on the single leaf Obtaining a greater understanding of the Inner Abyss is as,
of a great oak tree, a malady is growing, spreading across if not more, important to the Division than any of the lore
the veins. It has broken celestial laws and exposes the Inner and machinery holding Territory 3 together.
Abyss in all its frail glory.
BUILDER
Patient 3 is that malady and revels in the anomaly he has
become. It is only through Crantham’s grief, resentment and
“Catalogue informs us that we are aware of four Builders
impatience that our Society can and does exist.
existing in time and place. Obviously, there is Tott Detric:
Brent Walker is not Bitterness, he is the consequence of currently under observation by the 5th Head. So, we have
bitterness.” one that is under the employ of SLA; loosely speaking.
Professor Charles S. Finch, The Naga - Authority. Unfortunately, the other side have a Builder of their own -
Gillian Wrathbone.
Few members of Naga 7 Division will openly discuss the Unsurprisingly, she’s a high ranking member of the Shi’An
concept of Outer Territories beyond the confines of the cult and lest we forget, Shi’An herself was a Builder. Still
department, as it is arguably the deepest aspect of the truth unaccounted for.
behind the World of Progress and is a devastating revelation
to those who have not been eased into the reality upon which Our Field Agents have uncovered a rumour suggesting there
‘Territory 3’ was built. may be another Builder working within our company, who
may or may not be aware of their destiny, or predicament.
The World of Progress, Conflict Space and by extension
White Earth are just one of many realities branching out It’s rather terrifying to think that Bitterness decides who
from one another. Naga 7 Division refers to these realities goes forth from here.”
as Territories. Professor Christopher R. Moore,
Naga 7 Division cites the reality they reside in as Territory 1st Head, Naga 7 Division.
3. It is one Territory grouped in with a further five known
The Builder is the creator of a Territory. The person can
adjacent Territories, all of which stem from Territory Zero.
come from any walk of life. Every Territory is home to
A location known simply as Earth.
countless potential Builders, but only six or seven are ever
Naga 7’s Authority suspect countless Territories exist prior selected to make their creation a reality. This choosing is
to Territory Zero, but are so distant to the present collective made by the Builder of the Territory in which they reside, the
that they can serve as little more than wild speculation. Sire Builder, usually during the subject’s infancy. Thousands
The department has learned much about the various born throughout the ages may have had the potential to
Territories over the centuries from fragments of text and become the Builders of Stem Territories and it is unclear
countless Cast Offs that have slipped through into Territory how the Sire decides who will take up the mantle and who
3. will ultimately be rejected…
Knowledge of such deep lore and inner workings is the The Builder calls on or visits the child and considers their
hardest and most dangerous information to behold and suitability. If the Builder favours the child, then a mark is
without an RS device fitted the listener is at risk of high made on the forehead and the new Builder is set in motion.
levels of The Grey and inevitable dematerialisation. Throughout the course of their lives, Builders generate their
All Territories were once the creation of a specific Builder, Territories, first by collating a complex set of coordinates
developed over a lifetime. Once they are conceived, the written in what the Naga 7 Division have discovered is
221
called ‘Abyssal Script’, then decades of slow, development, I know what you are doing, Aaron. You think that though
life experience and personal belief shapes what is to come, you cannot be a Builder, you can at least govern those who
and at the moment of their death the dimension is made are, but you are ignoring the inherent dangers of such
real. tampering.
A Territory is born. Whatever may follow will be unstable and cancerous. These
realms were not meant to be dictated by us, or have any
The involvement of a Builder in the Territory they created bearing in our world. We have failed them, Aaron. Every
is very much dependent on their personality type, most Doctor and General has failed them. We are killing them one
retreat into the background and watch, only venturing out by one and it will be our burden to bear.
to select a young Builder which may be once a century, but
There is still time to steer clear from disaster, Aaron. I beg
others may adopt a far more hands on approach.
you to relinquish control of those who remain and let them
Those whom the Builder refuses (termed the Unchosen) grow and breathe on their own. We simply have to let go and
ordinarily forget ever having met the Sire Builder and accept the Elder’s path. Otherwise, we have been hunting a
carry on into adulthood with lives unburdened by the Snark all this time and can only expect a similar outcome to
responsibility. On very rare occasions, however, the that found in Carrol’s poem.
Unchosen does remember. In Territory Zero, two Unchosen
You brought me into the Foundation to assist and advise
Builders remembered their encounter with the Sire. One
and I am giving the best advice that I can.
such Unchosen’s resentment in being denied has led to
much calamity and was instrumental in the rushed and Turn back now.”
often malignant Stem Territories borne out of Earth and the Your friend, always,
creation of what has come to be known as the Red King. Boson.”
Despite the seemingly vast power bestowed upon the
chosen Builder, the role is not as prestigious as first appears: SIRE AND STEM TERRITORIES
it is a leaden responsibility and to some a curse, that could
last for eternity. Territory Zero is referred to as a Sire Territory, meaning
that throughout its timeline, it raised and chose a series of
“Dr Crantham, Builders to gradually generate their own Territories (termed
Stem Territories).
I write this letter to you expressing my deepest concerns
regarding your handling of Patients 1 - 6. I despise using Ultimately, all realities grow to become a Sire Territory in
this officious form of vocabulary because it deprives them of time, as potential Builders finish their labours and deliver
their humanity. They are living people, Aaron and before into their newly formed Territory and thus in turn, await for
now I assumed that any powers bestowed on a Builder only Builders to be born into their own unique timeline.
occurred in the Territories he would go on to inhabit, but I Style, scale and normalcy are dependent on the Builder
have seen disturbing abnormalities occurring right here in who created it.
the Territory, things that should not be.
Until that moment of death, the Builder was simply “Our interest in the Inner Abyss goes beyond simple
human. But what you have done is tampered with the curiosity: it is imperative we know more and as swiftly as
natural procedures that have existed long before the Elder possible.
brought us into being. The more we have learned about the nature of existence,
The Builder is meant to live long and draw in a lifetime the more we have come to understand the threat Patient 3
of experiences; to travel, to witness culture and art , in order presents to the entire Inner Abyss.
to create a rich world, but all of our Builders will die well Dr Crantham, the Unchosen Builder created a malignant
before their time. force that has the power to break the empirical laws set down
I, like you, was unchosen. I never regretted the Elder’s by generations of Sire Territories and devise entirely new
decision, I have never challenged it because it wasn’t for ones. He has created a new Territory within this one: White
you nor I to know. I know that it grieves you to have been Earth and by extension, Conflict Space.
denied, whilst a monster like Tibor Balogh was appointed We have always thought the end goal was to destroy SLA
by the sire. Industries and rule the World of Progress, but one suspects
The Foundation was our opportunity to learn and yet I Bitterness’s goals are loftier now and more catastrophic.
have watched every guardian and guide slip away from Cast Offs slip through into our realm from beyond, who is
their wards, all but one. You claim that education was your to say Patient 3 cannot do likewise?
intent, but all I have seen is punishment. Your resentment You thinking we’re fucking around? Look at it, this,
should be directed at the sire, not Brent or Jill. They never right here. A Cast Off, one of the greatest of its kind; just a
rejected you as he did. newspaper clipping, but such gravitas.
222
The Kilmarnock Standard: ‘A paranormal event, or never meant to glimpse into the Inner Abyss and see …
youthful hoax?’ they query. Earth.
‘The Red and Black Man - A group of delinquents, sat in The Riddle belongs in 1984.”
the town’s Foregate district, 1st October 1988, witness what Lecturer Bertrand Gilbert Dixon, 5th
they describe as a ‘spaceman in red and black suit’ appear Head, Blackwood Institute.
and disappear before their eyes. They said he had a Human
face, looked shocked and appeared to be injecting something How Cast Offs materialise in the World Of Progress is a
into his arm. point of much speculation in Naga 7 Division, but without
There’s a way out of here, away from all this chaos. We just delivering factual explanation. The general consensus is it
have to be a little better prepared than the Red and Black is simply a result of the instability found in each of the six
Man…” separate Territories and when the barrier separating them
Professor Charles S. Finch, Naga 7 thins, these items slip through unseen and unannounced.
Division - The Authority. Naga 7 Division are typically alerted to Cast Offs by the
differing effects they have on the people and communities
who find these strange, foreign objects. Instances of the Grey
CAST OFFS are obviously the most common, with many 1st Head Field
Cast Offs are inanimate objects from Outer Territories Agents delving into the cause of a new Grey Zone to see if
that have materialised in the World of Progress. Catalogue a malignant Cast Off has set in motion (with the intruding
reports retrieved items from the five adjacent Territories and Agent attempting to pilfer the artefact if one is at the source).
Territory Zero: the Sire Territory, with each specific Cast In other occurrences, especially regarding Cast Offs from
Off being of tremendous value. Stem Territories, the influence may be a lot more elaborate
Cast Offs originating from the adjacent Territories are and random, with victims being physically reshaped by the
typically arcane items, ranging from hi tech artefacts not discovered object.
dissimilar to those already existing in the World of Progress,
to items that are more ancient and obscure.
Cast Offs heralding from Territory Zero appear
unnervingly mundane, yet affect the onlooker on a deeper
level. More individuals in Territory 3 contract the Grey from
examining Territory Zero Cast Offs than those from any
adjacent Territories.
“Territory Zero Cast Offs disturb the viewers perception

of reality because the object is familiar in an inexplicable
way. The onlooker feels like they sense the connection but is
incapable of definition.
The example here was discovered in 8sd. A cassette tape.
The musician on the cover is clearly Human, the writing on
the inlay card is in Killain, but certain aspects will greatly
disturb the rationality and composition of the Territory Three
inhabitant. The reader will not comprehend ‘Don Quixote’
or know what a Wild Horse is; something in the deep core of
their being does get the reference, but can’t place it.
This is how The Grey takes hold and the stronger reality
destroys the defective machinery.
Some infected victims describe feeling a sense of deja vu,
catching glimpses of a place and time that is completely alien
to them.
Bearing witness to the Cast Off exposes the viewer to
new thought processes and maddening possibilities that the
Territory Three mind was not meant to consider or recognise.
Cast Offs are, by and large, deadly discoveries. They were
never meant to materialise in our Territory and we were
223
DEEP CONSTRUCT
Continued from Page 127 “It’s hard to explain, Jane. Let’s just say it was popular
around 300sd. Lower Downtown and the Deep Construct
“So, Jane.” Harris asked, his voice slightly muffled by the
seem to trap and thrive on old memories, lost culture, from
mint he was sucking on, “What did you learn about Lower
different places. The Dream Entities are always looking for
Downtown today?”
identity so they cling onto these passing thoughts and make
Jane was picking at a thin scar across the breastbone them their own.”
section of her armour, a mark left by Ronnie.
“Gimme another one of those mints, Greyson.” Harris
“That people swear a lot down here?” she muttered. reached out to Greyson, rubbing his temple.
“Ha!” Harris laughed, “Yes, they do. They have an “What I don’t get.” Jane continued, “Is why Ronnie didn’t
abbreviated vocabulary, but it’s colourful. That Bond X sure feed on those three civis?”
does limit their witty repertoire.”
“Oh, he was. He was feeding on their misery, that’s what
“Bond X?” Jane looked up from her armour. Entities do. It’s an emotional state that’s in abundance down
here. But when there was nothing left to be had, Ronnie
“It’s glue, Jane.” Greyson said, finding his place in his book
would have killed them regardless, in time.”
once more, “That’s what Todd the reprobate was huffing
earlier on. It’s very popular in certain Downtown Districts. +++
Ever been to Klick’s End? They practically live on Bond X
Ronnie had grown bored of Todd’s head. It was cold now
up there.”
and most of the blood had run out. He’d had fun popping
“Not much else to do in Mort City. Bond X gives them a the eyes and cutting off his nose and shoving it in his own
high, high, high.” Harris continued, ‘’Course it takes their mouth was quite amusing, but it wasn’t enough of a buzz.
brains to some real bad places and that’s what draws in Ronnie needed more.
Dream Entities, like old Rottenhat.”
That woman, though. She was interesting. Something
“Rottenhead, Harris.” Greyson corrected him. in her thought waves was … different. Intriguing. It was
going to be his birthday tomorrow and there was a party to
“Whatever the fuck.” Harris waved him away with one
organise.
hand.
Ronnie dropped to the ground and began sniffing around.
“What was that music that was playing in the carpark?”
Jane asked. He found the scent - a mix of mint, pain and curiosity.
“One of Birthday Boy’s tricks.” Greyson replied, “Jitterbug. Ronnie Rotten smiled, looking up towards the exit.
It’s a very old form of music.”
“Happy Birthday to me.”
“Jitterbug? Why’s it called that?”
+++
224
INDEX
1st Head 195 Catalogue 198 Gang Captain 58 Melee Weapons 211 Serial Killer Masks 125
1. Testing the Waters 102 Catalogue File 215 Gang Colours 74 Memetic Disorders 9 Shadow 19
2nd Head 196 Catalogue Transmitter 216 Gang Enforcer 60 Miscreant 135 Shark Eater 136
2. Tooling Up 102 Chain Scythe 122 Gang Hardware 72 MKII Buzzkill Gun 123 Shiver Marks. 72
3. Join a Family 102 Chancellor 200 Gang Hood 61 Mods 88 ShowBiz Agent 117
3rd Head 196 Channel Slice and Dice 119 Gang Lackeys 61 Mods: Arms 89 Show Business 115
4. Get an Agent 102 Channel Yesteryear 121 Gang Personalities 53 Mods: Brain 94 Sickness and Hysteria 6
4th Head 196 Character Progression 99 Gang Prospect 62 Mods: Control 92 Sinister Research 192
5. Enter the Mesha 102 Chronicler. 196 Gang Structure 51 Mods: Head 89 Sinner MkIII 134
5th Head 197 Classifications 83 Gang Tank 59 Mods: Legs 91 Sire and Stem Territories 222
6th Head 197 Clipping. 71 Gang UnderBoss 58 Mods: Torso 88 Skend 75 “Growler” 78
7th Head 198 Coercion and Assassination 56 Gang Values 52 MotorBikes 79 Skulker 183
Abilities 205 Cognates 103 Gang Vehicles 74 Movement 82 Slash Armour 124
Abilities 207 Colours stay on, especially in combat. Gang Warlord 56 Mr Minty’s Mints 219 SlingBlade 122
Active Service 202 70 Getting Mods 99 Mugging and Theft 54 Slingshot 154
Aether Armour MK 1 214 Common BPN coins 220 Gnaggot 185 Munchy Man Hammer 122 Soil or blood. 71
Aether Armour Mk 2 214 Communal Area 115 Grappler 152 Murderous Lives 113 Source Parent 14
Aethernaut 203 Complete Bastard Dagger 123 Grease Grenade 153 Mutant Carrien 142 Special Guests 129
Aethernaut 206 Consolidation Phase 26 Greater Carrien 140 NAGA 7 Armour Rules 215 Special Rules 88
Aethernaut Boon 220 Consumption 12 Green Horror 20 Naga 7 Character Classes 201 Species Abilities 97
AetherTracker 203 Control 86 Grey Zone Stencil and Spray Cans218 NAGA 7 Hardware 211 Species Abilities 209
AetherTracker 208 Control Table 87 Gun Nut 108 Naga 7 Hierarchy 200 Stage 1. 8
AetherTracker. 196 Cool Off Room 114 Günther Breist 76 Naga 7 Skills & Traits 210 Stage 2. 8
Alpha Carrien 140 Crash Out Rooms 115 Hardware 85 Naga Field Agent 204 Stage 3. 8
Appearance 97 Creepy Crawlies 66 Harpoon Gun 154 Nearly-Dead Aggie 95 Standard Equipment & Sundries 219
Appearance 204 Crossing the line. 70 Head 86 Never be Late. 71 Standard Issue 202
Appearance 207 Cryptid 30 Head Table 87 Never Snitch. 70 Starting Equipment 99
Appearance 208 Darkly Mask 217 Helion 16 NEW NATURAL WEAPONS Rules Starting Skills 211
ArachnoStalker 178 DarkNight ‘Chiselhead’ 28 Hired Props 69 170 Starting Stats and Skills 98
Area of Influence 14 DarkNight Venture 79 History of Naga 7 Division 191 Night Stalker 38 SteelThread Suit 72
Armour 72 Dark Trade 160 Hockey Stick 143 Nipper Pistol 73 Steinburgher 172
Armour 124 Dean 200 Hostile and Psychotic 53 No one gang rules. The Council is Stick to your own territory. 69
Armour 213 Deciding Vote Shotgun 73 Hovin Rose 171 Everything. Law of Three. 70 Stick Up Revolver 73
Armoury 115 Deeper Concerns 193 Hyke Armour 215 No unsanctioned hits. 71 Storage Area 114
Arms 86 Derro 39 Illegal Gambling 55 Nursery 115 Sufferer Staff 48
Arms Table 87 Derro King 41 Infiltrating Downtown 157 Oinky-Boinky 47 Tattoo Restrictions/Significance. 71
Arrowhead Cockroach 179 Determined and Industrious 53 Inner Abyss 221 Once spoke, it’s heard. 70 Tek Trex ‘Varmint’ 29
A Territory is born. 222 Dining Room 115 Inner Voice Drone 119 Once you’re in, you’re in for life. 70 The Authority 200
Background 96 Distorter 17 Insight 96 Oopsie Daisy 48 The Big Numbers 62
Background 204 Distortion Modifiers 45 Insight 206 Orphan Teams 68 The Blackwood Institute 199
Background 206 Distortions 45 Insight 208 Other Equipment 74 The Chillers 64
Background 208 DN790 Multirole Attack Shotgun 138 Insight: 204 Other Equipment 215 The Code 69
BattleSuits 133 Dogeybone ‘Snapper’ 27 Integration Phase 38 Outer Territories 221 The Deep Construct 2 - ‘Rottenhat.’49
Beast Mask 125 Downtown Effigy 22 In Zeal We Trust 131 Outfits 52 The Derwent Act. 116
Being Proven 53 Downtown Impact 10 Isolationist and Insular 53 Pariah 35 The Dustman 75
Bio Classification 15 Downtown Scavs 161 Joe Normal 110 Pickleton Mottle 171 The Elmersons 111
Bio Classification 56 Downtown Strays 174 Joining A Squad 98 Pipe Dweller 177 The Gang Charter 62
Bio Classification 139 Dream Atrophy 13 Juvenile Phase 17 Play Room 114 The Grey 8
Bio Classification 144 Dream Blade 46 Kanner Valiant IV 76 Polenik 163 The Grey Zones 7
Bio Classification 161 Dream Entity Abilities 43 Kidnapping 55 Porter 200 The Heads of the Naga 194
Birth of A Monster 6 Dream Entity Master 36 Killing a boss is the worst treason. 70 Product Manufacture and Distribution The Homicidal Pattern 100
Blades, Claws And Tools 85 Dream Hardware 46 Killing Mask 125 55 The Jack O’Lanterns 67
Blank Mask 125 Dream Interpreted Equipment 47 Kitchen 114 Professor/Doctor 200 The Modern Naga 193
Blinder 213 Dream Sacs 16 Known Cognates On Mort 111 Progeny of Rawhead 150 The Naga Society 188
Bloom Phase 20 Dream Shroud 13 KrossTown Traffic 64 Prospect Laws. 72 The Overlord Chamber 114
Bolotnik 163 Dreg 186 K’Shangs 74 Puddle Hermit 176 The Pale Zeroes 65
Bonky Street 121 Drekavac 161 KZ Dogs 182 Punch Dagger 153 The Pig Nicks 66
Boogeyman Armour 124 Dupont Model ‘Gallé’ 78 KZ MutantS 180 QuickKill Tablets 218 The Red Death Cognate 111
Born Leader 109 Earn or Fight. 71 Lair Breakdown 114 Rainfolk 32 The Right Stuff 130
BPN Coins 220 Easy 840 80 Landorian Bullet 172 Rampage 83 The Sewer Babies 112
Braddock’s Menagerie 216 Electro-prod 153 Lash Whip 153 Ranged Weapons 73 The Vodyanoy Campaign 156
Brain 86 Embryonic Phase 15 Lecturer 200 Ranged Weapons 123 Thresher ‘ThornCrest’ 27
Brain Table 87 Enemy Entities 26 Ledermine 171 Ranged Weapons 167 Throwing Dagger 155
BridgeHead Hounds 174 Engels Crusader 80 Legs 86 Ranged Weapons 212 Thug SMG 73
Broken Dreams 190 Enrolment 203 Legs Table 87 Rawhead Avatar (Displaced) 33 Titter 23
Brute 84 Equipment 125 Leshy 165 Rawhead Talisman 155 Tools of Choice 122
Brute 98 EWC Fanatic 137 Little Helper 107 Rebel Roar 138 Torso 86
Brutish and Aggressive 53 Executioner 134 Loan Sharking 54 Red Mist 110 Torso Table 87
Builder 221 Exile 98 Logic of Dream Entities 11 Ringing Bell 188 Toxic Fandom 129
Canchine 95 Exiles 82 Lone Wanderer 104 Ripper Gauntlet 143 Trash Heap 114
Canines 173 Extortion 53 Loper 179 Rising Star 105 Trolley Bob 95
Cannibal Abomination 148 Ex-War Criminals 128 Lower Downtown Hagfish 184 Rogue Veteran 95 True Outsider 107
Cannibal Butcher 147 Ex-War Criminal Weapons and Lumbering Nightmare 106 RS Device 217 Tugarin 164
Cannibal Fleshbag 25 Equipment 132 Luminosity 10 Runt Bully 145 Unfettered 15
Cannibal Mastiff 146 Faded Memory 193 Lure 215 Saint Alvin 100 Uni Laundering 55
Cannibal Matriarch 151 Family Values Cognate 113 Maki Heavy Industries Model 4 Patrol Sawn-Off Shotgun 154 Upgrades, Downgrades And
Cannibal Nightmare 24 Fear Staff 47 Suit 77 Scav AutoRifle 167 Sidegrades 85
Cannibal Outcast 150 FEN 24 Warmonger 132 Manchine 96 Scav Chain Axe 166 Urbanite 84
Cannibal Run 81 Field Agent 203 Manchine Blades 99 Scav Chainsaw 166 Urbanite 98
Cannibal Runt 144 Field Agent. 195 Manchine Body 99 Scav Combat Shotgun 167 Urchin Gangs 68
Cannibals 144 Finding Vault 198 Manchine Claws/Teeth 99 Scav Flamer 167 Variations tables 87
Cannibal Spear 155 Fleshworm 175 Manchine NPCs 95 Scav Halt Pistol 168 Venator Armour 214
Cannibal Termagant 145 Flicker 18 Manchine Packages 98 Scav Ion Cannon 169 Vice Chancellor 200
Cannibal Weapons and Equipment F.O.M.P 173 Manchines As Playable Characters 95 Scav Pistol 168 Vodyanoy Hardware 166
152 FOW Staff 211 Manchine Skills 99 Scav Shotgun 169 Volt Gun 212
Captive Subjects 159 Fracture Blade 212 Manchine starting Stats & Skills 98 Scav Sniping Rifle 169 Wanderers 82
Carnivorous Pigs 170 Fracture Staff 212 Manifestation Abilities 43 Screamer 21 War Names 130
Carrien 139 Fracture Weapons 212 Masari Energy Splice 79 Sections 86 Warning Tape 219
Carrien 139 GA50 Finisher 219 Master Professor 200 Sector Mongrel 173 War World 99
Carrien Weapons and Equipment 143 Gang above everything, even family.71 Mauler Axe 143 Sector Mutants 181 Weapon of Choice Table: 105
Cars 77 Gang Activities 53 Melee Weapons 46 Security 56 WidowMaker 133
Cash for Shooters 72 Gang Blade 59 Melee Weapons 122 Self-Care 85 WW09 Thrasher 132
Cast Offs 223 Gang Boss 57 Melee Weapons 166 Serial Killer Archetypes 104
E
SLA INDUSTRIES
F
Continued from inside front cover.
The man raised his face to bear on Crantham. He opened his eyes.
They were yellow now, narrow black slits for pupils. The man was breathing hard now, but trying to force it back.
“Yesss.” Crantham marvelled, “There you are… You’re a Guardian, aren’t you?”
“How do you -“
“Know? I make it my business to know, Mr Tide. You see, I’ve met the Elder. Long, long ago. Just like all the
patients in this facility. But unlike them, I wasn’t chosen. But like you, I’m left to pick up the scraps.”
The man frowned.
“Oh, I forgot, you’re honour bound, aren’t you? To Walker. He chose you for a Guardian, then? Not a Guide, I find
that somewhat surprising.”
“That’s because you underestimate him, like everyone else. He doesn’t need another bird chattering in his ear.”
Crantham laughed.
“Yes, what a loyal protector you are, Mr Tide. I’ve been watching you for some time now. We clocked you some
time ago. Long before your… nightly visitations.”
Crantham reached down for his briefcase and lifted out a folder. He waved it in the air, mockingly.
“You’re a busy boy, ‘Tide”. Have a look.”
Crantham tipped the folders’ contents on the desk. Photos, notes and paper clippings.
“All these photos of Brent and in each one you’re somewhere in the background. What is the Father so afraid of,
eh?”
“You, perhaps? This Foundation?” the man replied.
“Quite. But you didn’t stay in the background for long, did you?” Crantham examined one of the newspaper
clippings. “Three teenage boys, badly beaten in Howard Park, Kilmarnock. This article refers to them as Casuals.
You weren’t so casual, I suppose. You put them in Crosshouse Hospital, Tide. What happened?”
“I didn’t want to hurt them.”
“But you did, didn’t you? It says here one of them won’t be able to walk again. And of course, none of the troubled
teens were ‘able to identify their assailant’. You must have scared them terribly. They went after Brent, didn’t they
and you are honour bound after all?”
The young man looked away.
“What now?” he said.
“You’re thinking I’d keep you captive? Oh no, I don’t want you that close to Brent right now. No, I’m actually going
to let you go. I needn’t worry about you disappearing back into the woods again, because you’re a Guardian and I
know you will be back.”
“Then we’re done here.”
The man went to rise.
“The next time you decide to make an impromptu midnight visit, you call ahead first. I’ll want to talk to you again.
Don’t worry, neither the Father nor Major Stanton need to know about our newfound friendship.’
“You’re not my friend, or Brent’s, for that matter.”
Crantham laughed.
“Largely correct, but just like with Brent, you’ll grow to like me, in time. I can be very accommodating. Now -”
Crantham carefully passed over his belongings, minus the ivy leaf, which he held back in his other hand.
“I’m Doctor Crantham, but you may call me Aaron, if you’re so inclined. What’s your name and I mean your real
name.”
He slowly offered the leaf back to the man.
The man hesitated, but took it and gently placed the dry leaf back into his wallet.
“My name is Tyde. With a Y.”
“Excellent! Very nice to meet you, Tyde. See? We’re finally making progress…”
G
SLA INDUSTRIES
THREAT ANALYSIS 1: COLLATERAL
Threat Analysis keeps a watchful eye on the dangers posed to SLA Operatives, employees and civilians alike,
informing those whose job it is to deal with them; you, the Operatives. The classification of threats is split amonst the
Four Cs - Corporate, Conflict, Cult and Collateral. Collateral threats are those that come from the corporate greed and
exploitation resulting from the progress SLA Industries imposes in the World of Progress.
These are the enemies spawned from the universe SLA Industries has created.
The Cannibals, Carrien and Dream Entities are all a direct result of the actions of SLA Industries but the
Aethernauts and Aether Trackers of Naga 7 do not stand alone in their fight against these enemies of SLA Industries.
They are joined by an old ally, as the Manchine threat shows signs of returning to the fold.
SLA Industries 2nd Edition is a tabletop roleplaying game that uses Nightfall Games’ S5S rules system.
Recommended for two or more mature gamers.
SLA Industries 2nd Edition

Threat Analysis 1:
Collateral
© 2023, Nightfall Games.
ISBN: 978-1-7397627-9-8 Designed
SKU: WFG-SLA-212 in Scotland
https://nightfall.games/

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THREAT ANALYSIS 1:

Continued on inside back cover.

Nightfall Games are

Whether that invention was consciously or subconsciously, is up for debate.”

Tarak Harakhebi – Neophron Operative, SCL 8c, Squad ‘Perfect Gallows’.

the Shi’An Cult have on urban environs, the more they

THE GREY ZONES

“The Grey is a frightening thing. The only known virus

The presence of Dream Entities is a serious problem, not STAGE 3.

The Grey: (Strain Y) MR 6.

LUMINOSITY DOWNTOWN IMPACT

This predicament is highly common among Cryptids, high

comprehend the reference or their origin. They exist and

Apparitions: The term Apparition constitutes a series of

essentially quite cowardly Dream Entities and will fade

Equipment & Abilities

on the centuries of horror and torment generated by the

Equipment & Abilities

Equipment & Abilities

Titters revel in sadistic exploration as they advance

Equipment & Abilities

Creating Custom Entities

Equipment & Abilities

Sense Dream Entity: Cannibal Nightmares can track

If a Rawhead Displaced Avatar is left unchecked it will

As the Thresher Entity gains power it takes on new

Equipment & Abilities

Equipment & Abilities

The Shiver Patrol who stumbled upon this obscure brood of

Equipment & Abilities

TEK TREX ‘VARMINT’

Early in August’s existence he may have spent a period of

act on behalf of the Rainfolk, they’re otherworldliness is

RAWHEAD AVATAR (DISPLACED)

torture and inevitable death of their victims. These bouts

Pariah We know the Masters are striving towards this same

Masters are intensely driven, going to extreme lengths Skills

Dream Entity Master

head soon, the Derros and Night Stalkers are going to be a

Night Stalkers are far taller than Carrien with a completely

frightening degree, being able to trick fauna and deceive

Derro Whilst the Greater Carrien takes little interest in anything

Skills motion, even if they appear to be solid. Individual parts

Rules: The Entity cannot be seen using UV, IR or

for Aeriform Body or Dream Armour, Blades will be Rift

When the Oinky-Boinky is destroyed it explodes in red Oopsie Daisy MR: 13

The Deep Construct 2 - ‘Rottenhat.’ “Got it.” Jane said.

MORT CITY GANGS

Congratulations, you’ve struck a blow for the gang. Down

BEING PROVEN Determined and Industrious

GANG BOSS Equipment

GANG UNDERBOSS GANG CAPTAIN

GANG BLADE Equipment

Gang Enforcer Past Career: Lackeys are often retired underbosses,

Gang Hood Gang Prospect

challenge, whether the youngster meant it or not. The

SHIVER MARKS. GANG HARDWARE

“I have noticed Operatives, Shivers and Rangers in the

SteelThread Suit Cost: 400u