today, early tomorrow, i. As a i Pa a CeM esc econo e Ee eS hs eee on ee see aa arts Cem ence as ee Ce ere ST Tet omen tS a cre ieee ena) Me sense tet eae _ ee ee enreies en teaver a Himalayas. Now that call has been answered — a starfaring race known in Earth Pee ES ee cn ae eS ates raat psionics, biotech, and a strange new reality technology that could mean victory for Dae ee nae st rT a NeIee But an evil has reached Earth in’their vessels, a plague that threatens to turn men into slaves of a power-mad Space God. Already it has begun to sweep through South America, threatening to destroy any dream of human triumph. ret Se ee Coe on SSme ne netey mee Co Cea ed ee eee Seen on ky eeChapter Ten: Equipment . ; Chapter Eleven: Character Creation. TEMPLATES...Space Gods ™ Greg Farshtey, Greg Gorden, Ed Stark, Jim Bambra Design Dr. Michael Fortner, Martin Wixted Additional Material Greg Farshtey, Greg Gorden Development and Editing John Paul Lona Graphics Dell Harris Cover Illustration Allen Nunis, John Paul Lona Interior Illustrations Eric Aldrich Jeff Brown, Garry Corbin, Mike Landsdaal, Letha Owens, John White), Stephen Crane, Steve Crow (Ralph Altmaier, Dan Chapman, Elyce Helford, Chris- topher Mortika, Matt Van Kirk), Dirk DeJong, Dr. Michael Fortner, Alan Grimes (Sam Adams, Kevin Elmore, Crista Lambkin, Robert Quillen I, Dan Sylvester, Russ Whiteman, Curtis Zeitz) James A. Holden, Steve Lorenz (Stephen King, Dave Lemon, Bill, Olmesdahl, Brian S. Perry, Jesse VanValkenburg), Lou Prosperi (Gabe Cotto, Kevin Hudson, Gregory Rushton, Mike Shannon, Mark Terilli, Sheri A. Testa, Lawrence Trainer), Bill Smith, David Wetzel, Martin Wixted Playtesting and Advice Published by Viet RR3 Box 2345 Honesdale , PA 18431 First Printing: November, 1991 Publisher: Daniel Scott Palter * Associate Publisher: Richard Hawrane Eaitors: Greg Farshtey, Bill Smith, Ed Stark Art Director: Stephen Crane ‘Graphic Artists: Cathleen Hunter, John Paul Lona * Illustrator. Allen Nunis * Production Manager Steve Porpora Seles Manager Fitzroy Bonterre* Sales Assistant: Maria Kammeier-Kean + Administrative Assistant Jeff Dennis, Special Projects Manager: Ron Seiden * Warehouse Manager: Ed Hill» Treasurer: Janet Riccio ga Uthorion, Aye, Baruk Kath, Core Earth, Comm, Cosmvers, Cyherpapacy, Darkness Device, Dr. Mobius, Gaunt Man, Gospog, Heart of the Coyote, High Lord Infniverse,Kanawa, Living Land, Maelstrom, Maelstrom Bridge Nile Empare Nippon Tech Orrrah, Pela Andina, Postbity Raiders Posey Storm, Posi Wers, Ravagon, Star Sphere, Stormers, Storm Knigh,Torg aa th Torg logo ate radu of Weet End Games: 6," and © 1991 West Ed Games. Al Rights Reserves, &, TM and © 1991 West End Games. All Rights Reserved.‘Torg: Space Gods Introduction he Akashan Council members started as the doors to their chamber opened to admit a visi- tor. Monitor Zynn stood before them, barely able to gather the breath to speak and looking as if he oretiehet wih fren Peet loge instant, the elders wondered if the Blagas bad inka ane a, it Zynn’s excited condition had been sparked by something quite dif- ferent. With great effort, he mouthed the words that Akashans had both longed forand dreaded foralmostfive centuries “The Signal Fire has been lit!” Thechamber erupted, halfthecoun- cil members cheering, the others sit- ting with furrowed brows and dark expressions. “You are certain of this, Monitor?” Rotan Ulka said, in a voice like thun- der. “You know the danger this could represent, do you not?” ‘The Monitor swallowed hard, but stood his ground. “I do, Rotan. I re- ceived the report from the lightship myself, and twice queried the vessel's master. The messages are confusing, but clear. There has been no mistake — Earth has called to us at last.” Ulka sighed. “Then leave us. The time has come for decision.” After Zynn had departed, Ulka turned to his colleagues. “Centuries ago, we reached out to other galaxies, hoping to share our knowledge with them. We left Signal Fires for the na- tive beings, to be used when they had reached a sufficient level of civiliza- tion and an understanding of them- selves. “But youall know the results of our tampering. Iask you, High Council members —dare weanswer thiscall?” Hakia spoke first. “How can we not, Rotan Ulka? You know the plague ravages our people, turning them from peaceful believers in balance to blood- crazed monsters. You have heard the voices of the people, crying out for the council toact. How can wenot explore every possible source of aid?” “And our people remember well ‘Those Who Wait on Earth,” said Dala. “"Werisk much if we abandon them to their fate.” Sarila stood, shaking with rage. “Fools, all of you! You would risk bringing the plague to Earth, the pos- sible contamination of Akashan cul- ture, and break our people's most sa- cred vow for the sake of Those Who Wait? Their day is done, and it is only the revolutionaries who would see us intervene on other worlds once more! Akasha, the entire Star Sphere, are in peril, and we cannot chance their de- struction on the basis of an archaic signalling device!” Ulka glanced around the chamber, and saw some heads nodding inagree- ‘ment. He knew the decision he made here would be a crucial one — never had there been a greater need for bal- ance among the Akasha, and never had therebeen a greater dangertothat balance. The Rotan pondered for several moments. Them he lifted his head and said quietly, “The Rotan speaks, let all attend. The decision is made. “The Signal Fire will be answered. ‘The Akashans will return to Earth.” The Possibility Wars Earth has been invaded. Powerful beings who call themselves “High Lords” have come from different re- alities to steal the energy of this cosm. Each High Lord has conquered a sec- tion of Earth and reshaped its reality tosuit his wishes. That is the situation in the Near Now of Torg: Roleplaying the Possibility Wars. ‘The High Lords are opposed all over the globe by valiant Storm Knights. Early in the struggle, a group of Knights obtained an ancient artifact knownas“thePossibility Chalice” and used it to light a Signal Fire in a lost city of the Himalayas. The immediate effect ofthis was to create hundreds of new Knights to aid in the fight — but the true purpose of the Signal Fire remained a mystery. Now the message sent that day has reached the Akashans, aliens who vis- ited Earth centuries ago and left the Signal Firebehind. Armed with psionic powers, biotech, and non-invasive re- ality technology, they have returned to South America and discovered the horrors of the Possibility Wars. They have come to aid mankind, with a reality technology unlike any- thing ever seen before, something which could spell final victory for the Storm Knights. But they also bring with them perhaps the greatest men- ace of all Important! This sourcebook is a companion volume to Torg: Roleplaying the Possi- bility Wars. Itis possibleto make use of the: Space Gade setting with other roleplaying games, but many of the rules and concepts presented within these pages are explained in greater detail in the Torg boxed set. The Sourcebook This sourcebook provides all the information and advice needed to de- sign exciting campaigns in the bizarre and fascinating lands visited by the Space Gods and the Torg universe, as well as a psionics system, biotech equipment, and rules for the spread- ing of non-invasive reality IX.Chapter One Chapter One The Cosm he Akashans are resi- dents of a small galaxy which they call the “Star Sphere.” Roughly 750 parsecs across, the cosm is home to over 500 races, and domi nated by the Akashan High Council. Although much of their galaxy has been mapped and catalogued, there remain some areas that the Akashans and their client races have yet to ex- plore. Following the failure of their mission to Earth, the Akashans grew increasingly isolationist, reluctanteven to study the planets and stars that surrounded them. The High Council has been forced toreconsider this policy, however,due to the effects of the Comaghaz plague (See below) and the need to control its spread in the Star Sphere. Expedition- ary teams of Monitors have been dis- patched to the furthest reaches of the galaxy to determine the extent of the plagueand hopefully discoverameans to combat it. The Genesis of the Star Sphere Anexcerptfrom the Akashic Records: Inthebeginning, there wasthe Void. Then Eternity entered the Place; dreams and possibilities were un- leashed and spread throughout the Void. The Maelstrom was born from the meeting of these two great powers of the cosmverse. The possibilities spewed forth from the Maelstrom created galaxies and worlds, only tosee them consumed by the Void. Eventually, only two possi- bilities survived — Apeiros, the Cre- ator, and the Nameless One, the De- stroyer. Apeirosspang from the sideof Eter- nity to send possibilities spinning throughout the Void. Life began, and Apeiros’ power was multiplied bil- lions of times. But the Nameless One emerged fromthe Void and consumed the energy provided by Apeiros, and then attempted to consume the Cre- ator himself. Apeiros spread his wings and soared from the Void. He entered the Sphere of Stars where galaxies spun fromhis wings. Whirling on their axes, the galaxies flickered and flared, and novas blasted across the Star Sphere Where the Creator's wings touched, worlds were imbued with possibili- ties and began to glow with power. Slowly, the worldsbegantorevolve around the stars. The stars warmed the planets, causing oceans to boil Great winds blew, mountains arose from the ground and volcanoes ex- ploded, shooting fire into the sky. In time, these worlds grew quiet, and the seeds of life, planted by Apeiros, be- gan to bloom. Beings created in the image of Apeiros thrived. Butthe Nameless One envied the Creator'saccomplishment, and sent his darkness to consume the civilizations of the Star Sphere. He did not succeed, for the children of the Light were strong, ‘The Nameless One is an entity of limitless patience, and we must never relax our vigilance. Someday, he will return and attempt to undo all cre- ation, and on that day, our courage and strength will be our only weap- ons, The Akasha The civilization of the Akasha has existed as such for roughly ten millenia. The prehistory of their race was marked by visits by the Mohani, spacefaring beings from beyond the Star Sphere, who took it upon them- selves to shepherd the fledgling soci ety. They taught the Akashanstheneed for balance inall things, how to live in‘Torg: Space Gods harmony with nature and how tohar- ness the energy of the world around them for their own benefit. ‘The Mohani referred to themselves as pultaak, a word which can be roughly translated as “caretakers.” They explained to the Akashans that they believed having knowledge gave one a responsiblity to share it for the good of all, and that they had visited many races over the centuries. They told the Akashans of the stargates, great holes in the fabric of space through which one can travel count- less light years in the space of seconds. ‘The Mohani often expressed the hopethat one day the Akashans could become the pultaak for other civiliza- tions. They vowed to inform the Akashans when thetimecamethat the mantle could be passed, but shortly after that, the Mohani ceased to ap- pear. Why they vanished —whether their vessel was destroyed on the re- tum trip to their planet, or their race ‘was the victim of some natural disas- ter — is the subject of much specula- tion in Akashan myth. The race had by this time learned ‘enough from the Mohani that they wereableto thrive on their own. Some began to believe that the Mohani’s departure meant the Akashans had been deemed ready to act as caretak- ers for other worlds. This view pre- vailed, and the Akashans began to move out into space, spreading the philosophies taught them by the Mohani Physiology ‘The Akashansarea humanoid race, averaging 1.75 meters in height, with facial features resembling those of the Mayan Indians of Earth. Their skin is. reddish-brown, their hair black, and most have slim, well-proportioned builds. There are no external physical differencesbetween Akashans and hu- mans. The only major biological dif- ference is that their body temperature rarely exceeds 90 degrees Farenheit, and their touch will feel cool to a hu- man. ‘Akashans have developed power- ful psionic abilities, although only a relatively small percentage are tele- pathic. Those who have that talent are both valued and scorned, considered extremely valuable for government or diplomatic service but also suspected of spying on private conversations. Telepaths whose jobs do not specifi- cally require the use of that ability often keep their possession of it secret, preferring to avoid societal prejudice. ‘Akashans have alife expectancy of roughly a century. When they reach theage of 60, they areallowed toretire from whatever occupation they have pursued and devote themselves toin- trospection and meditative pursuits. Standard Akashan DEXTERITY 9 Dodge 10, unarmed combat 10 STRENGTH 9 TOUGHNESS 9 PERCEPTION 10 Evidence analysis 12, find 11, intro- spection 11, language 11, scholar 11 MIND 10 Test 11 CHARISMA 9 Charm 10, persuasion 10 SPIRIT 9 Faith (Akashan) 10 Additional Skills: three at +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (30) Psionic Potential: some (5) Alignment: varies Government and Economy Akashansociety isgoverned by the High Council and lesser body called the Kyat. The most powerful office is that of Rotan, the chairperson of the High Council who is charged with balancing both sides of every argu- ‘ment and then rendering a fair judg ment. ‘The High Council is made up of representatives ofthe variousstates of the Akashan homeworld, with each member having an equal voice in de- bate. There is no actual voting, but all are allowed a substantial amount of timetostate their casebeforethe Rotan announces his decision. ‘The Rotan himself is not an elected official, but is appointed from among, the High Council members. His posi- tionismoreakin to that of ajudgethan a president, and it is a station which ‘must be earned through service to the society. A Rotan’s position isnormally hisforlife,althoughalax performance of duty or a particularly impressive contributiontothe Akashan people by ‘one of the other council members can lead to a change. ‘ThecurrentRotan,Ulka,had gained renown while a High Council mem- ber for ending the Lorbaat riots through diplomacy, rather than force. Asstudent of history, he is well aware ofthe dangers ofintervention, but also realizes the threat posed by keeping hispeoples’ innate yen for exploration in check indefinitely. The Kyat is made up of representa tivessent from the client worlds of the StarSphere. Althoughtheyareallowed vote on various issues and are noted for their prolonged debates, they have in general no voice in major decisions. ‘The Kyat was created in large part to appease agitators both within and without Akashan society, and a great hhueand cryrises fromthe client worlds whenever anyone has the temerity to suggest their representatives are sim- ply going through the motions. Most of those who have never seen the Akashan government at work firmly believe that the Kyatisa crucial part of the decision-making process ‘The primary unit of Akashan cur- rency is the ciara, which resembles a smail scarlet gemstone, The Akashans are an extremely prosperous people, collecting income through trade with other planets in the Star Sphere and the use of technologies acquired from. worlds beyond the stargates in the years prior to the withdrawal. This ‘wealth has allowed many Akashans to focus onesotericstudiesand livesof leisure, with client races ass much of the menial labor that needs to be done. This is not a situation that sits well with some younger Akashans. They believethat the isolationist tendencies of their race, combined with assured wealth, have turned their elders into naive, detached leaders incapable of handling a crisis. Many point to the predominance of alien crews on Akashan vessels and alien laborers performing essential services as signs of a gradual erosion of their society. IX,eligions in a Game fictional religion as it exists in the fictional setting created for the Torg game. It is in no way intended to portray a religion operating in the real world. Rotan Ulka DEXTERITY 9 Biotech weapons 15, energy weap- ‘ons 12, maneuver 11, melee weap- ‘ons 13, unarmed combat 13, STRENGTH 9 TOUGHNESS 9 PERCEPTION 13 Evidence analysis 18, find 18, lan- guage 20, psionic manipulation 21, scholar (Akashan history) 19, space vehicles 14, trick 19 MIND 12 ‘Mindsense 17, psionicresistance 20, science (biotech) 19, test 18, will- power 18 CHARISMA 13 Charm 17, persuasion 19, taunt 19 SPIRIT 12, Faith (Akashan) 18,intimidation20, reality 20 Possibilities: 40 Alignment: Zinatt Psionic Powers: Kinesis (contain- ment, energy routing, psychic wind, tele- kinesis); Psionic Defense (diagnostic probe, general resistance (self), psychic aid, psychic screen, telepathic repulsion); Psychic Senses (awareness farsight, life sense, psi detection); Telepathy (beacon, send thoughts); Zinatt Powers (acceler ate healing, sense past, skill search) Equipment: kinetic armor (armor valueTOU+10/30);graviticray (dam- age value 30, range 3-150/350/500); hastur (PER+3); lornos (charm +3); biotech repair kit; MedKit; transtech (biotech); commtrol (biotech) The Monitors The Monitors are the major mili- tary/law-enforcement body in theStar Sphere. Though each world has its ownsecurity force, the Akashan Moni- tors have full authority wherever they go. ‘The Monitors started out purely as a defensive force. But when Akashans began totravelamong thestars, Moni- tors went with them, serving as guards against galactic pirates and as a show of force toclient worlds who wished to foment discontent in the Star Sphere. Monitors were under the direct com- mand of the Rotan, but their primary loyalty was to the laws of Akasha, a situation which served to prevent their being used by a Rotan to establish a galaxy-wide dictatorship. ‘Manyoftheearly contacts withatien races were made by the Monitors, and indeed, Those Who Wait on Earth are predominantly members of this orga- nization. By the very nature of their ‘occupation, most of the Monitors lean toward the philosophy of the inter- ventionists in Akashan , but are held in check by their respect for the authority of the Rotan and the Council. Still, more than a few hearts yearn for the days when exploring other galaxies and guiding otherraces ‘was the rule, rather than the excep- tion. ‘Among Akashans, Monitors are ‘unique in that they are encouraged to make use of strictly mechanical de- vices. This came about shortly after theFourth Industrial Revolution, when it was discovered that some of the less civilized client races were using the equipment purchased from the Akashans to threaten the peace. It was decided that Monitors would need to carry both biotech and nonorganic weapons if they were to effectively carry out their duties. That is a ruling which has stayed in effect to this day. Standard Akashan Monitor DEXTERITY 10 Biotech weapons 11, dodge 11, en- ergy weapons 11, maneuver 11, ‘melee weapons 11, unarmed com- bat 12 STRENGTH 10 TOUGHNESS 10 PERCEPTION 9 Find 10, language 10, trick 10 MIND 8 Survival 9, test 9 CHARISMA 7 Persuasion 8, taunt 8 SPIRIT7 Faith (Akashan) 8, intimidation 9 Additional Skills: three at +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (30) Psionic Potential: some (5) Alignment: varies, butlargelyCoar Equipment: varies Philosophy and Religion ‘The major belief system of the Akashan peopleis Zinatt, which states that in all things, there must be a bal- ance, For every creation, there is a destruction, and every being has cre- ative and destructive energies within him. Akashansdonotbelieve thatany tool (psionic, weaponry, et.) is in- herently good or evil, but thatits place inthe orderof things is determined by how it is used. ‘This belief in the existence of coex- isting, but contradictory, forces has allowed the Akashans to accept both Apeiros and the Nameless One into their rel intheon. While the major pe hes refer life to death and the Star Sphere to the Void, they understand and accept that there musteventuallybeanendtoall things. This passive attitude has led them to often ignore potential threats until it ‘was too late, as was the case with the Comaghaz. Whilethe Akashanshavebeen will- ing to impose their sense of order on other client races, no attempt has been madetoforcibly convertother peoples to their beliefs. Akashans do not have the concept of an enemy mythos, and believe all deities have some basis in reality. Most tend to favor more posi- tive religions, such as the worship of the Gods of Honor in Aysle or Lanala in the Living Land, but on the whole, no practicioner of any faithsuffersany adverse effect in the realm of the Akashans or in the Star Sphere. While virtually all Akashans be- lieve in the basic tenets of Zinatt, vari- IX,ous factions differ on how best to achieve a balance. This has caused a major split in all levels of society, one aggravated both by the Comaghaz plague and the lighting of Earth’s Sig- nal Fire. Akites and the Machu Coar The two opposing ideologies in Akasha are represented by the Akites and the Machu Coar. The groups split from each other five centuries ago, and the Akiteshavelargely dominated society since then, with the Machu Coar dismissed as troublemakers with delusions of grandeur. The Akites (short for “Akash- anites”) are those who believe in the philosophy of Aka, which states that their race has no inherent right or re- sponsibility to interfere with other worlds beyond the Star Sphere. While they recognize that they havemuch to contribute to struggling civilizations, ih, they point to the disasters of earlier times as proof that no good can come of such meddling. They dispute the factthat the Mohani bequeathed tothe Akashans some sort of “manifest des- tiny” that must be fulfilled, and have evengonesofarastoquestion whether Akasha truly benefitted from the Mohani’s influence. ‘The more radical Akites have be- come devout isolationists, branding theclientracesas potential allies of the ‘Comaghaz and calling for the destruc~ tion of any approaching vessel as a way ofhalting thespread of the plague. Whilesuch ncasuresaredismisselas the excesses of fanatics, the Akites do make up the majority of the High Council and a large segment of the wealthier class of Akashans. Up to now, their influence has been suffi- cient to prevent any efforts to act as pultaak for other worlds, but the pub- lic outcry over the Comaghaz plague has forced them to consider desperate measures to stop the disease and re- store order. They assented reluctantly ‘Chapter One to support the response to the Signal Fire, but insisted that Akites be in- cluded prominently in any force dis- patched. ‘The antithesis of the Akites are the Machu Coar, who take their name from the failed Akashan expedition sent to Earth a millenium ago. “Coar” has since become the name given to their ideology, which claims that the ‘Akashans have a duty to act as stew- ards for less developed races, and ex- plain away past mistakes as aberra- tions that pale in the shadow of what was accomplished for countless plan- ets while acting in that capacity. They have acted to keep alive the legend of Those Who Wait, the remnants of that first Machu Coar team that still sur- vive on Earth. Extremist elements within the Machu Coar had, at one time, advo- cated the outright conquest of those worlds that were destroying their en- vironments and retarding their own development. The idea was that Akashans would manage the planet‘Torg: Space Gods until the native race had advanced sufficiently to be able to manage on their own and the imbalances they had created had been corrected. This ‘was tried with mixed success 1500 to 2000 years ago, but was the first pro- gramtofall out of favorafterthe disas- ter on Earth. The Machu Coar and its ideas have been steadily growing in popularity overthepast year. Leadersofthegroup haveportrayed the Akitesand the High Councilas out oftouch with the people, willing to sacrifice the client races to the Comaghaz, and too frightened of their own shadows to risk looking outside the Star Sphere for aid against the plague. They have seized upon both the epidemic and the lighting of the Signal Fire as reasons to resume exploration and more direct involve- ‘ment with other cultures. More and more of the younger Akashans have begun to sympathize with the theories of the Machu Coar, although those in positions of respon- sibility have found it wiser to their beliefs to themselves, since their superiorsare likely tobe Akites. It was largely political pressure generated by followers of the Machu Coar that led to Rotan Ulka’s decision to respond to Earth's call ‘The government has long regarded the Machu Coar as a relic of bygone days, little more than a nuisance. But asthe expansionistelements gain more adherents and grow more vocal in their criticism of the authorities and Akites in general, some have actually begun to fear an armed insurrection against the High Council. Rotan Ulka has publicly dismissed such a notion as fantastic, but it may have been a factor in his decision to proceed to Earth, Those who follow neither of these two philosophies are generally con- sidered to be followers of pure Zinatt, and believersin harmony and balance above all. The Rotan, by definition, must be a follower of Zinatt — having abelieverin Aka orCoarat the head of the government could result in civil war. Alignment is a crucial factor in the day today life ofthe Akashans. Where ‘one falls on the scale of belief systems fluences which psionic powers you are able to use with ease and which 10 only with great difficulty. Many things in Akashahingeon “whosesideyou're on’ in the Aka-Coar war of philoso- phies For more on alignment, see Chap- ter Four. Science and Technology In their primitive period, the Akashanshad anirrational fearof tech- nology. Their cave-dwelling ancestors had fled in terror from the arrive of Mohani ships, and the legends of fire- breathing monsters with silvery wings descending from the sky were used to frighten children for centuries. Eventually, the Akashansovercame this aversion and, with the guidance ‘of the Mohani, they proceeded to en- joy the fruits of three Industrial Revo- lutions. The final one of these intro- duced the concept of space travel, us- ing huge, fuel-buming vessels. These ‘were efficient, but it was not until the Mohani revealed the existence of stargatesthatinterstellar travel became practical. It was in such a ship that the Akashans first visited Earth. Still, the Akashans never felt truly comfortable with pure technology — cold steel and tangled wires, the other- ness of mechanical devices, offended their sense of harmony. Thus they be- gan to move in another direction, and their Fourth Industrial Revolution pro- duced the concept of biotechnology. From that point on, all tools used by the Akashans would be composed of organic and nonorganic matter joined together, and some would be sentient as well. For more information on bio- organictech, see Chapter Ten, “Equip- ment.” ‘One of the first major results of the Fourth Industrial Revolution was the selling of most nonorganic tools and ‘weapons to the client worlds, which led to a surge in their ability to pro- duce such equipment. The second sig- nificant event involved space travel, as the environmentally unsound ves- sels of the past were scrapped in favor of new, organically-based craft. The Akashans now rely on two forms of interstellar transport, lightships and geomantic shuttles. Lightshipsare living biotech creations which possess fin-like appendages resembling sailsand metallicappend- ages /landinggearatthebottom. These are capable of collecting solar energy and converting it into the propulsive forcenecessary to move through space. ‘Therearea number of differentclasses of lightship, ranging from the liner, used to transport cargo, to the cruiser, a smaller vessel used for exploration and diplomatic missions. Unlike lin- ers and warships, cruisers are capable of landing on planets — however, to ensure that the secrets oftheir creation remain intact, the fins break down and dissolve shortly after landing while the rest of the craft burrows into. the ground. A bioengineer must ma- nipulate the implants in the lightship to cause the fin to grow again so the ship will be spaceworthy. Geomantic shuttles are found on the larger craft which are unable to make planettall. These ships, which can carry up to six passengers, chan- nel gravitic and geomantic energy through their drives and are only abie to function when within 10,000 kilo= meters of a planet or a lightship. They arecommonly launched from orbiting shipsand descend toa world’ssurface by controlling the pull of gravity on theship. When lifting off froma planet, reverse-gravitic drives redirect the gravitational pull ofthe planet, thereby providing propulsion for the ship. The other area in which the Akashans excel is bioengineering. A natural outgrowth of their interest in biotech, their scientists frequently ex- perimented with gene splicing and the creation of genetic mutations in the yearsafterthe Mohanileft. At first, members of the client races and even some Earth humans were used as test subjects, a practice that was banned at thesame time the pultaak concept was abandoned. Akashan bioengineers then began focusing their efforts on ‘creatures from their planet and vari- ‘ous other worlds, but it is believed that there are still some unscrupulous scientists using members of civilized racesas proving groundsfor theirtheo- ries. It is known for a fact that some productsof failed experiments re still extant on Akasha, with the Monitors frequently called into putthem down. JPN,Chapter One Stargates Tales of astral pathways known as stargates had been passed down tothe Akashans by their mentors, the Mohani. But until the Akashans ven- tured into space themselves, they were unaware of the true nature of the} or the use to which they could put them. Stargates appear as vast, shimmer- ing funnel-shaped openings in space. Electrical discharges flicker and sparklearound their edgesas the sub- stance of space flows through them, but unlike black holes, stargates exert no gravitic pull on other bodies. targates are visible only to those individuals with psionic abilities and the proper training in their detection. Each stargate is connected to another, and may be joined to as many as 10 or 12 others. Most lead to sections of the Star Sphere, but there are some which have been found to lead to other gal- axies. One such leads to the vicinity of Pluto in the Milky Way galaxy and served as the Akashans’ pathway to Earth. Stargates are not fixed in space, some having been known to move as much as 20 million miles over the course of a millenium. A vessel enter- ingastargate is caught up inanenergy stream that spirals and twists all around it. The ability to navigate a ship safely through this flow is a skill highly prized in the Akashan fleet. ‘Travel hrougha sargatenormally takesa week, buta mistake whilenavi- gating through the stream can result in the journey lasting several months or longer. Races of the Star Sphere The reaches of the known Star Sphere teem with life, and beyond them, noone knows whatstrangeraces may thrive. Natives of all the client worlds live and work on Akasha, and many traveled to Earth when the “Space Gods” returned in response to theSignal Fire. Inaddition,aliens from IX, worlds beyond the authority of the Akashans followed the lightships through the stargate and traveled to the Milky Way themselves, landing in or near South America, The Lorbaat The fiercest and most openly rebel- Jious ofall the client races, the Lorbaat resemble huge beetles. They average approximately two meters in height, and six limbs and a pair of sharp mandibles, The Lorbaat are capable of walking upright, using their hindmost legs to stand and their other four limbs as hands. They are skilled craftsmen, ca- pable of manipulating specially-de- signed tools with great agility. Their mandibles are used as weapons or for tearing off pieces of their prey. Lorbaat are capable of secreting a ¢glue-like substance knowns baatase, ‘which hasa Strength of 16. The Lorbaat ‘smear baataseon their shellsand use it to hold thelr equipment. They'also ‘exude a substance known as trioacid, which can dissolve baatase instantly. The secretions of both baatase and trioacid are simple actions, and nei- therisused asa weapon by theLorbaat. They are, however, put touseby other biotech weaponsmiths(seethebaatase rifle in Chapter Ten, “Equipment"). Natives of the world Lorbaata, the Lorbaat would be believersin the doc- trine that calls for “survival of the fittest,” if they were aware of its exist- ence. Carnivores who relish the taste of blood, Lorbaat will fight with any- one, including each other, for the sake of the battle. They resent their domi- nation by the peaceful Akashans, and ‘more thanonce the Monitors have had tosuppressmini-rebellionsamong the insectoids. The Lorbaat are a hive-dwelling race, ruled by a small number of ‘queens. Their society consistsofarigid caste system, and a Lorbaat is con- signed to his strata for life with no here for advancement. The largest groupinLorbaatansocet isthe work- ers, those who are responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the hive. It isthey whomustensurethathequeen is provided with sufficient food and the hatchlings are cared for properly. ‘The most honored caste is that of the warriors, the strongest, most vio- lentLorbaatwho makeup the planet’s army. The history of the race is filled with tales of glorious deeds by the warriors, and indeed, before the Mohani led the Akashans to the se- crets of advanced technology, the Lorbaat were well on their way to conquering the Star Sphere. To this day, much of their resentment of the Akashans stems from the feeling that the Mohani should have chosen the Lorbaat to be the caretakers of the galaxy. Thefinal casteis that ofthe supervi- sors, whoare responsible for directing, the warriors and workers in their ac- tivities. This caste includes the scien- tists, weaponsmiths, and spacecraft pilots as well. Lorbaat live in huge nests of soil that tower 40 meters or more above the ground. Around a nest, the land is cultivated by the workers, and wa- tered using complex irrigation canals devised and maintained by thetechni- cians. Onany Lorbaat world, there are likely tobe many hundreds of Lorbaat nests, each one home to tens of thou- sands of Lorbaat. Each nest has its ‘own queen, who owes allegiance to a High Queen. The High Queen resides ina large, central nest, with the other nests surrounding it like spokes on a wheel ‘The Lorbaat havecolonized a num- ber of worlds in their sector of the Star Sphere, but have suffered a great deal from the outbreak of the Comaghaz plague. Ten or more colony worlds have broken off contactwith Lorbaata, anditisbelieved they havesuccumbed completely to the plague. How many residents of those worlds were part of the Alashan armada which taveled to Earth is unknown. The Lorbaat blame the Akashans forthespread of theComaghaz plague (indeed, itwasbroughtto their worlds by infected Monitors), and their High Queen has ruled that anyone carrying the disease should be executed on sight. The plague has greatly wors- ened relations between Lorbaata and Akasha, 11Standard Lorbaat Warrior DEXTERITY 9 Dodge 10, energy weapons 10, fire combat 10, heavy weapons 10, long jumping 10, unarmed combat 12 STRENGTH 10 Climbing 11, lifting 11 TOUGHNESS 12/9 PERCEPTION 7 Find 8, language 8, trick 8 MIND7 Test 8 CHARISMA 7 Taunt 10 SPIRIT 7 Faith 8, intimidation 10 Additional Skills: three at +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (40) Psionic Potential: none Natural Tools: mandibles, damage valueSTR+4/21;claws,damage value STR+3/20;shell, armor valueTOU+3/ 21; baatase, STR 16, TOU 13; trioacid, damage value 14 12 Description: Lorbaat warriors are a dark red color and appear black in dim light. Their carapaces are bulkier than those of the other castes. War- riors are trained never to retreat from combat unless ordered to by a super- visor, and will fight until destroyed. Note: Lorbaat warriors are unaf- fected by the break result in the Drama Deck. Treat all break results as setbacks. Gudasko Gudasko are humanoid creatures which average two meters in height. ‘They are covered witha smooth, tight skin which ranges in color from the purest whitetto pale violet. Their hair, which covers the sides of their heads and lightly coats the rest of their bod- ies, is bristly and white. Gudasko have a bony ridge run- ning down the center of their fore- heads, and two flexible antennae sprout from either side of their heads. These antennae grow to a length of nearly a meter and are deep red in color. Gudasko use their antennae as feelers for both smell and touch ‘Gudasko havenonoses,and their faces resemble flat skulls. They are inca~ pable of facial expression The mouth of a Gudasko is filled with sharp pointed teeth, giving the species an even more frightening ap- pearance. Their slitted, cat-like eyes allow them to see in clearly in low- light conditions. Their hands and feet are equipped with sharp, retractable claws which they use to good effect in combat. Although intelligent, the Gudasko areunable to grasp theideaofacentral government, and they exist in pack- like clans. Leadership of the clans won in single combat, and a chieftain musteverbe prepared to gointo battleChapter One to defend his title. The loser of such a match is cast out of the clan and con- demned to wander the barren plains of their world, Kelneride. The Gudasko are a primitive spe- cies, not having moved much beyond the hunting and gathering stage of evolution. They can be ferocious and violent or childlike and trusting, de- pending on how they retreated. Their keen senses allow them to serve as efficient trackers or guards, and many of the outcasts have found work with other races. The Akashanshavebeen extremely careful in their dealings with the Gudasko. Unable to accept the idea that any one people could have au- thority over the galaxy and loyal to nothing beyond the clan, they could mount a determined and bitter chal- lenge to the Akashans if they were to ever understand their place in the Star Sphere. The Akashans expend every effort to make the Gudasko feel like equals, butthereare already someclans who feel that they are treated like slikith (a Gudasko phrase meaning “dwellers in the dirt.”) Standard Gudasko DEXTERITY 9 Dodge 10, maneuver 10, n Gunepaicebenti et STRENGTH 9 TOUGHNESS 9 PERCEPTION 8 Find 9, evidence analysis 10, track- ing 10 MIND 7 Survival 9, test 8 CHARISMA 7, Taunt 9 SPIRIT7 Intimidation 8 Additional Skills: threeat +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (35) Psionic Potential: none Natural Tools: teeth, damage value STR+2/12; claws, damage value STR+4/14 IX, Larendi ‘The Larendiareanavianrace. They stand, on average, 1.5 meters tall and havered, bat-like wingsand thin, grey humanoid bodies. Their plumage is red, with stripes of white along the chest and wing tips. Their heads are tufted withbright yellow feathers, and they have long, sharp fangsand small, black eyes. The Larendiare intelligent creatures, nativesoftheplanetSalend. Theirworld is predominately composed of water, with large, volcanic islands rising from the ocean floor. The Larendi live on theseislands, mainly in cavesand large, desiduous trees. Larendisociety is flexibleand migra- tory. ‘The Larendi commonly fly from island to island, hunting in the forests and fishing in the oceans. Primarily camivores, theLarendi do drink the sap of certain trees and the juices of citrus fruits. Not surprisingly, the Larendi keep very few personal possessions, con- tent toforagefor what they need when they need it. However, they are quick to adapt, and are capable of under- standing the functions of many differ- ent devices. Larendi agree with the Akites on the question of intervention with other races, and are pacifistic, save when it comes to bringing down prey for a ‘meal. They have been known to indis- criminately attack visitors from other ‘worlds on the pretext that they looked “good to eat,” and the Akashans fre- quently have to explain to them that it is not civilized behavior to do so. The Larendi have an overwhelm- ing hatred of any technology which harms the environment. They resisted any contact with the Akashans until that race had perfected the use of biotech. The Larendi have never achieved spaceflight capability, but their migratory nature has made it easy for them to adjust to new worlds when transported to them by the Akashans. Unfortunately, the constant comings and goings of the Larendi made it extremely easy for the Comaghaz plague to spread among them, to the point where most of the known colonies and the homeworld have been infected. Standard Larendi DEXTERITY 9 Biotechweapons 10, dodge 10, flight 12, maneuver 10, stealth 11, un- armed combat 11 STRENGTH 8 TOUGHNESS 8 PERCEPTION & Evidence analysis 10, find 9, lan- guage 9, scholar (alien races) 9 MIND 8 Science 9, survival 10 CHARISMA 7 Charm 8, persuasion 8 SPIRIT 8 Faith 9, focus 9, intimidation 9 Additional Skills: three at +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (35) Psionic Potential: some (19) Natural Tools: claws, damage value STR+4/12; wings, speed value 13 Draygakk Draygakks-are large (2-25 meters, on the average) dragon-like human- ids covered with dark brown scales. Theireyesareset beneath pronounced bony ridges. Theyhavelong, extended snouts which are filled with four sets of parallel teeth. Unlike edeinos, Draygakks do not have tails. They have five fingers and an opposable thumb on each hand. ‘Contrary to theirfierceappearance, Draygakks are generally placid, but when injured or provoked, they can erupt into fits of violence in which they become frenzied (for details about frenzy, see Chapter Five, “Skills”) Draygakks are bred to hate and fear these instances of uncontrollable bloodlust, and they spend most of their 13‘Tong: Space Gods lives working to control their terrible tempers. Draygakks began as carnivores on the swamp world of Tes-Klick-Aah (thatisthe Akashan pronunciationand spelling; Draygakks hiss, click their inner jaws, and exhale to make the “aah” noise). Itis not known whether they gained their intelligence as a re- sultofevolution, or whether they were genetically manipulated by the Mohani. Those who favor the Mohani manipulation theory point to the lack of tails, and the development of the hands as evidence that Draygakks did notevolvenaturally. Draygakksthem- selves believe they are what nature intended them to be. Many Draygakks have ventured far from their home systems. They are very curious about other races and are accomplished sociologists whose find- ings are treated with respect through- ‘out the Star Sphere. They have estab- lished 15 scientific outposts in various parts of the galaxy. ‘The Draygakks are the firmest al- lies of the Akashans in theStarSphere, and believe strongly in the philoso- phy ofthe Machu Coar, thatadvanced races have an obligation to aid those Jess fortunate. They have attempted to warn the Akashans that allowing the feud between the Akites and the Coar to create schism in their society was inviting disaster, but as yet they have not been heeded. ‘The Draygakk have been relatively unaffected by the Comaghaz plague. Used to watch for any aber- rant behavior, the infected were ap- prehended and quarantined before they could spread the disease to any great extent. Ina colossal blunder, the Draygakk advised the Akashan High Council to take its time and study the ‘Comaghaz problem before taking any rash action, a suggestion which was accepted. In the wake of recent devel- ‘opments, the Draygakks have revised their early estimate of the seriousness of the situation, Standard Dray DEXTE! Dodge 9, energy weapons 9, ma- neuver 9, swimming 9, unarmed combat 9 STRENGTH 10 ‘TOUGHNESS 118 PERCEPTION 8 Evidence analysis 19, find 10, lan- guage 9, scholar (diplomacy) 11, trick 10 MIND 8 Science (sociology) 9 CHARISMA 7 Charm 9, persuasion 9, taunt 8 SPIRIT 7 Faith 8, frenzy 9, intimidation 9 Additional Skills: three at +1 adds Possibility Potential: some (30) Psionic Potential: some (19) Natural Tools: teeth, damage value STR+4/16; claws, damage value STR+2/14; scales, armor value TOU+3/13Chapter Two Chapter Two The Comaghaz antor paused inhis work and wiped the perspira- tion from his brow. He could not recall its ever being so warm on Akasha before — perhaps the climate control devices in this structure need repair, he said to himself. He forced himself to concentrate on his studies. The history of the Draygaak people was a fascinating one, and he found it particularly interesting how they had transcended their fearsome physical appearance and become such noted scholars. Granted, they had not yetapproached thelevelofthe Akashan intelligentsia, but given time A bead of sweat dropped into his eye, blinding him. He let out a gasp at the burning’ sensation and dropped his infoscanner. He was going to com- plain to the caretaker of the building ‘when the room seemed to shift before him suddenly, and he found himself on the floor. A wave offear passed through him. He felt ill — something which should have been impossible, given his ge- neticmakeup. He had spent over 1000 ciaras on having his immune system strengthened, and if that money had been wasted, his bioengineer would be sorry indeed, Hestruggled torise, fighting offthe dizziness. He would gohomeand take a rest, perhaps he had been studying too hard ‘That was when he heard the voices. They were all around him, soothing him, encouraging him,achorusled by the soft, silken voice of a woman. He could almost see her face as she spoke tohimof destiny and fate, and offered hima sense of belonging he had never known before. Deep inside his mind, something ‘was screaming a warning, telling him the voices were a product of the fever that raged within him. But he did not listen, indeed he could not. The voices insisted he join with them, and told him once he belonged, he would be able to share his experience with oth- It all seemed so wonderful, he had no further thought of resisting. Grate- fully, totally, he surrendered himself to the voices, and let them tell him what he must do, He felt whole, even the fever had ceased to annoy him. As he passed through the hallway, the caretaker bade him farewell. As the voices sang in triumph, he reached out o take the old man’shand and share the new sensation he'd dis- covered Plague of Hatred ‘The microorganisms known as the Comaghaz form a sentient, psionic virus which hassweptthrough Akasha and numerous other worldsin theStar Sphere, and was carried by hosts to Earth in the lightship armada. Highly contagiousand virtually incurable, the Comaghaz has infected thousands, linking them to a group mind under the control of the developer of the virus. ‘The plague has thrown the entire Star Sphere and Akashan operations on Earthinto disarray. Initially believ- ing the disease to simply be an out- break of madness, the Akashan High Council took no steps against it until was out of control, both on Akasha and the client worlds. The difficulty of 15‘Torg: Space Gods detecting the presence of the disease until it is firmly in control of its host has led to countless incidents of sabo- tage by infected personnel in vital po- sitions, Insomeareas, bothin the cosm. and the realm, rampaging mobs of plague-ridden beings have seized con- trol of cities and towns and begun the systematic infection of the populace. Entire worlds have fallen under the sway of the group mind, but the iden- 16 tity of the person dominating the Comaghaz remains a mystery to the Akash What is known is that the virus has defeated all efforts to control it, and the need for aid against it was a major factor in the Akashans’ decision to come to Earth. Although humanity ‘did not prove to be as far advanced as first hoped, it is believed they may have the potential todiscovera means to conquer the Comaghaz — some- thing that must be done before Earth, too, falls before the plague. The Creation of the Comaghaz ‘Thedevastating virus knownasthe Comaghaz has its roots in the dark and ambitious mind of an Akashan High Council member and renowned bioengineer named Sarila. She first gained fame forstoppinga severe crop blight on a Lorbaat colony world, but noone knew her true method of doing, so. By tampering with the genetic material of the plant disease, she caused it to become dormant for a short period, and then mutate into a less severe form of itself. As a result, instead of those eating infected plants suffering instant death, the poisons would now take up to a year fo build upin the body and result in complete sterilization of the host. She knew, of course, that the now undetectable blight posed in some waysa greater threat than the one she had been called upon to cure. But she had succeeded in confirming her theo- ries regarding viral geneticmutations, and the eventual collapseofthecolony was ascribed to some heretofore un- known kind of cosmic radiation act- ing upon the inhabitants. Her “victory” over the crop blight resulted in her receiving a number of grants to continue her research and eventually the attainment of a posi- tion on the High Council. But Sarila ‘wanted more — she coveted the posi- tion of Rotan, but being a fanatic be- liever in Aka, had very little chance of attaining it. It was then that she hit upon the plan that was to bring s0 much grief to Akasha in ways she never expected. The Plot and the Peril Sarila’s plan seemed simplicity it- self for one of her talents —she would bioengineer a virus, something seri- ous enough that it would attract atten- tion withoutbeing unfailingly deadly. IX,Chapter Two stn ‘Then, when Akasha was perceived as being threatened by it, she would “miraculously” produce the cure. Hailed as a heroine of her race, her ascension to the office of Rotan would be assured. She set out to create an infectious disease that, after a relatively short incubation period, would produce a fever, dizziness and nausea inits host. Left unchecked, the disease would eventually result in death, but Sarila felt certain she would be called upon to cure it long before any fatalities resulted. Toensure that she would not beatfected, she injected herself with a weakened strain of the virus and so built up an immunity. Then she un- leashed it upon her world. From the first, she knew she had created something greater than she had ever intended. As more and more le became infected, she began to -ar their voices in her head, looking to her for direction. Then she began to sense a presence within this bizarre chorus,and witha shudder, realized it was her virus. She had tampered overmuch with the geneticmaterial ofthe disease. The microorganisms had achieved sen- tience, and their presence in a host linked him toa group mind. That was the explanation for the voices she had heard. Her own exposure and immu- nity to the virus had allowed hertotap into the group mind without being dominated by it. Panic-stricken, Sarila attempted to effect a cure. But when she tested her vaccine, she discovered that the virus had mutated again into a form which resisted her curative agent. As a sen- tient creature, its first concern was its own survival, although it was willing toserve her. She knew then that ifshe revealed to the other members of the High Council her knowledge of the disease (which she had dubbed “Comaghaz,” an Akashan word mean- ing “dominator”), they would grow suspicious of where she had obtained it. She decided to keep silent. After a short while, she learned to distinguish the separate voices that made up the chorus. She reconciled theeffects her disease was having upon other worlds with her belief in Aka by telling herself the group mind simply drew peopleto follow her lead. By that IX, faulty logic, hers was a passive inter- ference in their society, rather than an active one — it was the Comaghaz Who chose to accept her commands, she did not force them to do so. Sarila convinced herself that, with the mutations it had undergone, the virus would no longer be physically harmful to its host (a comforting lie she continues to believe to this day, despite the evidence of her senses). She had resisted the idea of travel- ing to Earth, for fear that a race ad- vanced enough to comprehend the Signal Fire might uncover her com- plicity in the Comaghaz’s creation. In. an attempt to sabotage any such ef- forts, she insisted on joining Rotan Ulka on the journey. But upon reach- ing South America and finding the people well below the technological evel of the Akashans, she relaxed. Having seen firsthand that humans are susceptible to the virus as well, Sarila now dreams of dominating two galaxies, and perhaps one day a uni- verse. Sarila herself was unaware that Earth is in a different cosm from Akasha. But when the first Storm Knight wasinfected by the Comaghaz, knowledge of the Possibility Wars flooded her mind, and she may well expand her plans to encompass all realities. She has already set in motion aplot to begin infecting Delphi Coun- cil Spartans, Sarila DEXTERITY 12 Biotech weapons 14, dodge 13, en- ergy weapons 14, “maneuver 13, melee weapons 13, stealth 13, un- armed combat 14 STRENGTH 9 TOUGHNESS 9 PERCEPTION 13 Evidence analysis 17, find 16, lan- guage 14, psionic manipulation 20, trick 17 MIND 13, Medicine 19, psionic resistance 19, science (biotech) 21, test 20, will- power 24 CHARISMA 12 Charm 16, persuasion 19, taunt 14 SPIRIT 10 Intimidation 17, reality 19 Possibilities: 30, Alignment: Aka Psionic Powers: Kinesis (energy routing, psychic wind, telekinesis, teleportation, teleportation (se); Psionic Defense (general resistance (sel), psy- chic screen, telepathic repulsion); Psy- chic Senses (awareness, psi detection); Telepathy (cloud mind, send thoughts, thought scan); Aka Powers (charisma control, mind seal) Equipment: cloaking suit (stealth +5); psionic enhancer (psionic manipu- lation +1); mindlance (damage value 20, range 3-10/25/40); gravitic ray (damage value 30, range 3-150/350/ 500); volent (damage value STR+5/ 24); biotech repair kit; MedKit; transtech (biotech) Description: Sarila is a young, ex- tremely beautiful woman withagifted mind and the ability to convince her- self that all of her actions are justified intheservice of thegreater good. Sarila has strived to achieve perfection of both mind and body, and is currently obsessed with keeping her connection tothe Comaghaz a secret Eventually, once her infected legions have gained mastery of Akasha, she plans to pro- claimherselfRotanand lead her people to greater glory. The Comaghaz Virus The infectious disease created by Sarila has two major effects on its host: agradual physical breakdown, includ- ing the virtual burning outof the brain in many cases, and the joining of the host's mind to those of other infected, to form a group mind. The Comaghaz has a three-stage life cycle which ends with the death of the host body. It is conceivably pos- sible to Kill the virus using medical means, though without doubt this ‘would be extremely difficult. It is also possible for the host to destroy the disease by force of will during the second stage of the infection. Both of these methods will be detailed below. TheComaghaz virusmountsatwo- mnged attack on the host, inflict Eamage on a eystemic basis an mont specifically to theneural synapses and cerebral cortex of the brain. In its most severe form, the Comaghaz utterly destroys the willpower of the host, 17‘Tong: Space Gods transforming him intollttle more than a slave to the will of the group mind, which is in turn dominated by Sarila. Comaghaz Virus Damage Value: 15 The Contagion ‘The Comaghaz infection is passed via physical contact, when perspira- tion passes from an afflicted host through the pores of a target. Short of adirect injection of the virus (amethod used only once, by Sarila on herself) this is the sole means of spreading the disease until the third stage is reached. The virus is not contagious in its first stage, 50 only hosts who have reached thesecond orthird stagesmay infect others. To do so, the host must touch the exposed flesh of his victim. This may be a simple action (such as shaking the hand of someone who does not know he is dealing with a carrier) or it may require a successful unarmed combat attack on the part of the host. Ifthe latter is the case, com- pute the damage of the unarmed com- bat attack asalways,and then generate the damage total for the virus as de- tailed below. ‘The Comaghaz virus cannot live outside of a host body for more than a few seconds. Therefore, it is not pos- sible to catch the illness by using an article handled by an infected person, wearing one of their ts, etc. Nor is it possible to catch the plague from the corpse of a carrier. The disease can be spread much more effectively if the host touches an ‘open wound on the person of the tar- get. Comaghaz carriers have set up twisted mockeries of hospitals where incisions are made on victims and the virus passed to them. People infected inthis manner progress directly to the second stage of the illness. ‘Only beings capable of indepen- dent thought are susceptible to the Comaghaz virus. Beings which oper- ate purely on instinct, like most ani- mals, are not vulnerable to the infec- tion. Once the virus has been passed, generate a damage total for the virus against a difficulty number of the 18 target's Toughness. If the roll is suc cessful, the target is infected. If the Knight is unaware the person who touched him was a carrier, keep the generation of the above total a secret, as the Knight would not be aware he hhad the illness until the first symp- tomsappeared. If, however, the Knight knows he has been attacked by a ‘Comaghaz host, he may attempt to actively defend against the illness us- inghis Toughness (providing, ofcourse, heis willing to surrender his action for that round to do so). ‘Once the infection has been passed, the new host enters the first stage of the disease. First Stage ‘The first stage of the Comaghaz infection lasts forapproximately three weeks. It begins immediately upon the host's infection, and lasts until the virus gains enough of a hold on his system that itcan proceed toattack his mind. ‘The disease is extremely difficult to detect at this point, as it is not doing, any avert damage fo the body as et and the host suffers nol effects, Gee the Comaghaz Detection/Treatment Chart below.) Itis, however, at its weakest in, its new host, and thus easier to elimi- nate than in later stages. In many ways, this is the most in- sidious stage of the disease. A character's best opportunity to be treated for the plague is offset by the fact that he may not know he has it. When the second stage arrives, the host will probably find himself un- ‘willing to take any steps to eliminate the Comaghaz, for he will be one with them. Second Stage At this point, the first. physical symptoms appear and the Comaghaz. group mind attempts to seize control of the host’s consciousness. The second stage is marked by an increased heartrate, fever,cold sweats, and dizziness (that last only until one joins with the group mind). The infec tion is now highly contagious, and there isa standing command from the group mind to pass the disease on to anyone encountered. Immediately after the physical symptoms manifest themselves, the groupmind willassault the host’scon- sciousness. Fordetails ontthis,see “The Group Mind” below. If the host is ‘unable to expel itat this point, he falls under the sway of Sarila as either a Leader, Soldier, or Drone in the group mind. The virus is easier to detect at this point, but harder to treat, as it has taken firm hold of the host's body and mind. Itis now more difficult to drive from the system, and the patient is, unlikely to be cooperative. Second-stage hosts are extremely effective agents for Sarila. Under her control, but not yet suffering from overly conspicuous physical symp- toms, mostcanstill perform their stan- dard roles in society and be accepted. ‘desdundeunmnonatslsabongeand spying has been done on her behalf by these agents prior to their exposure as, ‘Comaghaz hosts. ‘Thesecond stage lasts foranywhere fromsixmonthstotwo years (themore ‘mental faculties one retains as part of the group mind, the longer one re- mains in the second stage. This allows ip mind Leaders to survive for a longer period of time.) During the second stage, physical attributes are increased as the hosts become less sensitive to pain and fa- tigue. Mental attributes decrease, but not among the Leaders. For more de- tails, see “The Group Mind,” below. The Third Stage By the time the host body reaches the third stage, mental processes have begun to suffer as a result of the par- ticipationinagroupmind. Along with this come physical symptoms ofa dra- matic nature, which leave observers no doubt that the disease rages uncon- trolled through its victim. In the third stage, some physical attributes are increased again, while ‘mental attributes take a sharp drop, even among Leaders. Drones are re- IXChapter Two duced to almost vegetable level, while Soldiers are little more than zombies. As an efficient fighting force, third stageSoldiers and Drones leave some- thing to be desired — however, they are virtually impervious to pain and no longer are hindered by fear, anger or any other emotion. Physically, the changes are more grotesque. Asthebody’ssystemsrebel against the infection, the host's epi- dermis begins to crack open, and a green fluid produced by the infection 0zes out. (This fluid takes the place of perspiration for purposes of spread- Ingthe infecionat thbotago) Soldiers and Drones become little more than engines of destruction, their move- ments more clumsy, their odor foul, their only concept of human interac tion, the shedding ofblood. They area legion of berserkers, used primarily for strikes against targets so well-de- fended that conquering them would cost the lives of too many second- stage hosts. In Leaders, the physical changes are less drastic, but still evident. The IX disease becomes well-nearimpossible to treat in the third stage, and the probability of catching the contagion fromacarrieratthis pointis extremely high. The third stage normally lasts no longer thansix months, at which point the host dies. The Comaghaz virus within that body will expire shortly thereafter (at least, that is the theory) butitis still believed wiseto burn or in some other way destroy the corpse as soon as possible. Detection and Treatment While itis certainly possible to de- tect the presence of the Comaghaz vi- rus in someone with the naked eye in thethird stage, in the earlier periodsof infection, sophisticated tests are re- quired to confirm the presence of the diseaseand thesystemsithasattacked. Tests for the Comaghaz virus re~ quire a medical laboratory of Tech 23 or better to perform. Detection diffi- culty numbers (using the medicine skill) for the various stages of the illness are listed below on the Comaghez Detec- tion/Treatment Chart There is no known cure for the Comaghaz virus. There are, however, experimental treatments developed by be Alabang which are balered tender the virus dormant, effectively returning the disease to its first stage. All attribute levels return to normal, and linkage with the group mind is severed. However, these treatments are ex- tremely complicated to perform, as precise knowledge of the extent of the infection in the host is needed so that dosage amounts can be set correctly. Inaddition, itis possible that the dor- ‘mant virus could mutate intoa formin which the treatment would cease to work and it could become active once again. For medicine difficulty numbers at different stages of the illness, consult the Comaghaz Detection/Treatment Chart 19‘Torg: Space Gods Comaghaz and Miracles Efforts have been made to perform ‘cure disease miracles on those afflicted with the Comaghaz virus. These have met withsomesuccess, asthe Akashan realm has no laws regarding “enemy mythos” and non-Zinatt miracles do not cause a contradiction there. The difficulty for a cure disease miracle is equal to that of curing the disease medically in any given stage. A successful cure disease miracle will return the virus to its first-stage level and dormancy foranunknown period of time. omaghaz Detection/ Treatment Chart ‘Treatment Stage DN DN int 25 16 Second 15 B Third = 8 2B Detection The Group Mind Once linked by the presence of the Comaghaz virus, themindsofthehosts forma group mind under thedomina- tion of Sarila. She alone can tap into this union without being ruled by it, due to the presence of the virus in her system but her immunity to its harm- ful effects. This group mind is broken up into small units called cells, Each cell has a single Leader, and a virtually unlim- ited number of Soldiers and Drones. All Leaders are under the command of Sarila, and they in turn command the Soldiers and Drones. The group mind requires a Social axiom of 18 or to operate. Thus itis possible to disconnect while using ;pmind powersin certain areas. this occurs, the Comaghaz. virus will become inactive, but not revert to its first stage. Should the host reconnect to a reality with a sufficiently high Social axiom to support the group mind, he willbecomeinfected again to the same extent he was before. Cells containing Living Land char- acters who have retained their own reality commit a four-case contradic- tion when using group mind powers in Baruk Kaah’s realm, Under the Influence When a Comaghaz host enters the second stage of the disease, the virus attacks his consciousness, attempting, to linkit to the others it has infected. It is at this point that the host has the opportunity to destroy the virus by force of will, or assume the role of Leader, Soldier or Drone within a ‘group mind cell. To lean the outcome of the virus’ attack, the host generates a Mind total and consults the table below. Possi- bilities and cards may be spent on this roll. jomaghaz Resistance Table Mind Total Result 2Sorabove Virus destroyed 20 Leader 2 Soldier Morbelow Drone Example: Tomaki has been infected by the Comaghaz virus and reached the second stage of the disease. The virus attacks his mind, and Tomaki generates a Mind total of 14. He will bea Soldier in the group mind cell to which he is now linked. A player character taken over by the group mind will become a ster character until a cure is effected which returns the virus to its dormant stage. The Cells ‘One of the first discoveries Sarila ‘made in her probes of the Comaghaz group mind was that the greater the number of hosts in a cell, the greater the potential power ofthat cell. This is. knowledge she has used to her advan- tage as the cells have carried out her ‘orders in the cosm and realm, The group mind value of a cell is a measure of its power. This is equal to the Mind value of the cell's Leader plus a bonus based upon the total number of hosts in the cell. To find the bonus, first find the value of the total number of hosts in the cell on the Torg Value Chart. Then locate this number in the result points column of the Power Push Table and read across fo lear the bons pro- Example: A Comaghaz group mind cell, led by an Akashan named Zonnec, has seized control of the vil- lage of San Ramon in Peru. Zonnec has a Mind value of 11. There are a total of 250 hosts in Zonnec'scell.250 hasaTorg value of 12. On the Power Push Table, 12 result points translates to a bomus of +5. Therefore, the group mind value of Zonnec's cll is 16 (11+5). ‘Thegroupmind value governsboth the maximum range of the Leader's control over the cell and the number and type of powers the cell can make use of. Group mind values should be re- calculated once per weekof game time, as hosts fall in battleand new ones are added. Whileitis certainly possible to do calculations for the cell in use in your campaign more often, once per ‘week is less intrusive. As stated above, cells are made up of one Leader and a number of Sol- diers and Drones. Each has different strengths and weakness, which are detailed below. Note that Leaders, Soldiers and Drones are capable of having attributes which exceed the cosm limit of 13 due to the effects of IK,Chapter Two the disease, and will not cause a con- tradiction by doing so in the realm. This is because the axioms of the Akashan cosm support the actions of the virus, which is responsible for the attribute increase. The Leaders The existence of cell Leaders is cru- cial to the success of Sarila’s plan to ‘dominate the Star Sphere and Earth’s ‘osm. Without them, it would be vir- tually impossible for her to coordinate more than a few operations of the ‘group mind at once. For example, she ‘could send out orders to three cells to mount attacks on three different loca- tions — but without a Leader present toreact otheindividual circumstances attendant to each operation, failure of ‘one or all would be quite likely. For this reason, the Comaghaz vi- rus serves her purposes admirably by being to make only those with the strongest minds (and often those who are Possibility-rated) cell Lead- ers, These individuals, while domi- nated by Sarila, retain their own per- sonalitiesand accumulated knowledge ‘well into the third stage of the disease. In addition, as noted above, Lead- ers have the ability to stave off the coming ofthe third stagetoallow them- selves to be of greater use to Sarila Along with their prime instruction to spread the virus as much as possible, Leaders are also charged with ensur- ing their ownsurvival,evenatthecost of thousands of Drones. Leaders are the most valuable of all the Comaghaz hosts. The following are the standard sta- tisticsas well assecond stageand third stage statalterations for Leaders. Note thatthese changesaffectbothattributes and attribute-based skills. Standard Leader (Second Stage) DEXTERITY 9 Dodge 11, energy weapons 10, fire combat 10, maneuver 10, stealth 10, ‘unarmed combat 10 STRENGTH9 ‘TOUGHNESS 9 PERCEPTION 11 Evidence analysis 13, find 13, trick “4 JX, MIND 11 Survival 12, test 13, willpower 13 CHARISMA 9 a Charm 11, persuasion 11, taunt 10 SPIRIT 8 Intimidation 11 Additional Skills: four at +2 adds Possibility Potential: some (20) e Leader est STRENGTH +1 TOUGHNESS +1 PERCEPTION +1 MIND +1. CHARISMA +/-0 SPIRIT +/-0 Second-Si DI ‘Third-Stage Leader DEXTERITY +2 STRENGTH +2 TOUGHNESS +2 PERCEPTION -2 MIND -2 CHARISMA -1 SPIRIT +/-0 Soldiers Soldiers are the elite warriors of the groupmind, notaspowerfulasDrones but possessed of a bit more cunning. In addition, Soldiers are capable of stepping in if a Leader is killed and assuming control of the cell. There arecommonly fewerSoldiers present in a cell than there are Drones. While the Leader is alive, they are underhiscompletecontrol,butshould he perish, the Soldier with the highest ‘Mind vale will take over for him. At this point, the group mind value for that cell must be recomputed. Soldiers can alsobe directed by the Leader to take over smaller units of the, cell and split off from the main body. Thisisoftendone whena group mind cell expands into a new geo- graphicaren. A Leader will end ina few Soldiers, each controlling several Drones, to attack, and then follow at a safe distance. Drones are considered to be expendable. ‘A mini-cell led by a Soldier has a group mind value which is computed in exactly the same way as that of the parent cll, with the exception that the Soldier's Mind valueisused in placeof the Leader's. The group mind value of the overall cell remains the same, as the Leader is still in control of the Soldier. Standard Soldier (Second Stage) DEXTERITY 11 Dodge 13, energy weapons 13, fire combat 13, maneuver 12, melee weapons 12, stealth 12, unarmed combat 13 STRENGTH 11 TOUGHNESS 11 PERCEPTION 9 Evidence analysis 10, find 10, track- ing 11, trick 11 MIND 9 Test 10, willpower 10 CHARISMA 8 Persuasion 9 SPIRIT 8 Intimidation 10 Additional Skills: four at +2 adds Possibility Potential: some (50) Second-Stage Soldier DEXTERITY +2 STRENGTH +2 TOUGHNESS +2 PERCEPTION -1 ‘MIND -1 CHARISMA -1 SPIRIT +/-0 ‘Third-Stage Soldier DEXTERITY +3 STRENGTH +3 TOUGHNESS +3 PERCEPTION -2 MIND -2 CHARISMA -2 SPIRIT +2* “Applies only to intimidation skill. All other Spirit-based skills remain the same. Drones Drones are the laborers, foot sol- diers, and cannon fodder who make up the bulk of any group mind cell. In general, they are the hosts who had the weakest minds at the time of their infection. 1