Isabella Attema

Lines exist to be crossed. The Ship of Theseus sails across thresholds not with wild abandon, but with calculated purpose. The discovery of new states of being and new reaches of reality open up the possibilities for future adaptation. The Theseans have learned how to grab a handhold in the fabric of the world so they can haul themselves over its boundaries; they’ve garnered the knack of shoving their fingers into the cracks and hauling those breaches open into yawning gulfs.

There’s a danger in playing trailblazer, of course. The unwary Thesean might end up trapped on the wrong side of a gulf that she can’t step back over easily. A dangerous entity might well lure a pursuer into a trap that is hidden from view by the barrier between worlds. There’s always a path back, but it can be hard to find, and many of the strange membranes of existence into which a Thesean might stride can be decidedly inhospitable. Still, a little risk never held the Ship of Theseus back.

A werewolf sinks her claws into the frayed air that marks where a spirit pushed through the Gauntlet, tearing her own path in its wake. A demon calculates the ludicrous equations that will give it a passcode to pry an Avernian gateway open. A hunter holds a swirling portal of light and fire open through his sheer force of determination.

System: A Thesean can use this vector to use an existing or recent passage into another state of existence, whether an entirely different realm, a particular frequency of Twilight, or even a tear in the fabric of Time. For existing gateways and apertures, such as an Avernian gate or a locus, the Thesean must be in the gateway’s presence and can trigger its opening as if they had any key or prerequisite that may be required, allowing them to pass through it. If the gate would normally then remain open for other characters to pass through, it will fulfill this function.

A Thesean can also use this vector to follow the trail of another character who has transitioned out of reality, such as a ghost shifting into Twilight, a spirit using Gauntlet Breach, or an Awakened teleporting to another location. This must be performed within three turns of the transition, and if successful, the Thesean follows the target into their new state or location.

Breach does not grant the Thesean the senses to detect gateways in the first place; they must identify the location of one through observation, luck, or other supernatural powers.

If the Thesean has entered another layer of reality, Twilight frequency, or other realm, then after 24 hours, they will be able to find their way back to the normal world through a fracture, gate, or verge.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Requirement: An existing gateway, or a character transitioning out of reality within the last three turns.

Dice Pool: Wits + Survival

Action: Instant

Edges

Beasts, Mages: Some of the Sworn are already at ease bestriding the many membranes of existence, familiar with the passages that worm their way between each layer of reality. Characters with this edge can Breach in pursuit of another being within five turns, rather than three.

Changelings, Sin-Eaters, Werewolves: Changelings, Sin-Eaters, and werewolves are intimately familiar with particular domains that abut onto the world, and their instincts are well-honed for dancing across such thresholds. Theseans with this edge can trigger the Breach vector as a reflexive action.

Demons, Hunters: It’s not always about chasing the target through an open door; sometimes it’s better to jam the damn thing shut in the first place. A Thesean with this edge can use it to slow down a transition attempt or opening of a gateway, adding 1 turn to the amount of time the target takes to move into their new state.

Mummies, Prometheans, Vampires: For those firmly anchored in the living — or dead — substance of the world, it’s easy to find a way back. Indeed, the difficulty is in remaining within alien realms so thoroughly at odds with the Thesean’s very being. A character with this edge always finds their way back to the world within one hour.

Deviants: The burning drive of a Deviant’s conviction pushes them after their enemies like an unstoppable loco- motive, something as trivial as the mere barrier between worlds barely slowing them. A character with this edge can repeatedly Breach after a target that continues to transition between states of existence within the same scene without paying any further Willpower costs. For example, the Deviant might enter Twilight in pursuit of a spirit, then chase it across the Gauntlet into the Shadow, then back across the Gauntlet into the real world again, paying only a single Willpower point for the first Breach.

Specializations

Iron Masters: The eminently practical werewolves of the Iron Masters have turned the occult secrets of the Ship of Theseus back toward known shores. Instead of distant and alien lands, they’re finding routes through the seemingly familiar and mundane, breaching the barriers of society as well as those of reality. An Iron Master Thesean can use Breach to follow a target across a social boundary without triggering immediate concern or alarm; the werewolf might pursue the prey into the VIP area of the club without the bouncers taking note or nip through an electronically locked gate in the wake of an employee without anyone raising an eyebrow. Using Breach in this way has the same three-turn time limit as the vector’s normal use, and once through, it’s up to the Thesean to handle any challenges they meet within.

Galateids: On one hand inhumanly beautiful, on the other creatures of nightmare, Galateid Created already exist in two worlds or more. Sometimes created for pleasure and sometimes as killing machines, these Prometheans can shift purpose more easily than most. When using this vector, a Galateid may shift to a new basic Refinement.

Start by breaking things down into their component parts. It’s a vital step in every endeavor, whether it involves removing obstacles from the vessel’s path or preparing to build up something new. It’s practiced in a thousand different ways, from taking a sledgehammer to a wall, to sowing discord through a community. The Ship doesn’t let rigidity or conformity get in the way of blazing a new trail.

Breaking things down depends on identifying the connections, the weak points, the sinews that keep it bound together. The crew of the Ship of Theseus are skilled at picking those vulnerabilities out and exploiting them. Sometimes, all it takes is finding the right spot and giving it the slightest push to bring the whole set of dominoes crashing down.

The vampire waits outside the factories for the late shifts, handing out rabble-rousing leaflets. The demon widens a rift between business partners with a folder of incriminating photos. The Sin-Eater stirs ghosts into terrorizing the garrison with figments and phantasms, leaving the soldiers on edge and frightened.

System: A Thesean can send an organization into disarray as long as they are in contact with at least one of that organization’s members. If successful, the vector sows discord and confusion in the organization, choking its coordination and triggering infighting. All rolls to direct the organization’s membership or make use of any Allies, Contacts, Resources, Retainer, Staff, or Status Merits relating to that organization suffer a –2 modifier. For the purposes of Breakdown, an organization is limited in scope to being a unified group with a particular focus or purpose; the vector could target the Ministry of Information, but not an entire national government. It could target a particular drug-pushing street gang, but not a whole city-wide alliance of cartels; a particular university is a legitimate target, but the whole Ivy League is not.

It takes a single scene to enact Breakdown against a targeted organization.

Cost: 1 Willpower

Requirement: A Thesean must be in contact with at least one member of the targeted organization’s members within the current scene

Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge

Action: Instant; takes one scene

Duration: One chapter

Edges

Changelings, Mages, Mummies, Vampires: Generalized chaos is one thing, but finding the perfect moment to put one’s finger on the scales and push hard is quite another. Theseans with this edge can choose to inflict a different effect with the Breakdown vector; instead of a –2 dice modifier, the first roll made automatically results in a dramatic failure, which does not grant Beats. The –2 dice modifier penalty applies to each subsequent roll that the targeted organization makes thereafter for the chapter of the vector’s effect.

Deviants, Prometheans, Werewolves: Some Theseans prefer a more physical approach to taking things apart. A character with this edge also inflicts the Breakdown dice penalty on attempts to fix any of the physical infrastructure of the targeted organization, and on medical attention given to its members.

Beasts, Sin-Eaters: Society has a lot of dead wood that needs to be cleared away for new growth, but it’s not always about tearing things down as quickly as possible. Rattle the cage enough, and the fractures will spread and collapse the organization from the inside. Theseans with this edge also inflict the vector’s dice penalty on any rolls by organization members to resist breaking points or equivalent rolls.

Demons, Hunters: Chaos can serve as excellent cover for the quick and the cunning. There’s plenty of opportunities to seize a victim amid the distractions. A Thesean with this edge also inflicts the Breakdown penalty on Perception and Investigation dice rolls made by organization members.

Specializations

Autourgics: Remade who embrace their altered state are rare, but several exist within the Ship of Theseus. Their willingness to commit to change endears them to the iconoclasts, and in turn, the faction utilizes their commitment to alteration to shift the building blocks of their targeted organizations. Autourgics throw themselves into their task, driving the Breakdown with zeal enough to increase the organization’s penalty to –3 dice.

Network Zero: The Network’s always on the lookout for opportunities to dive in and discover the truth. Sometimes that means a well-timed cyber-attack under cover of a diver- sion, or squeezing a whistle-blower for the juiciest secrets while they’re on their back foot. A Network Thesean reduces the number of starting Doors by one when initiating in a Social maneuver against a member of an organization targeted by the vector.

Theseans do not survive if they are not able to thrive under intense pressure and hardship. There is no reward for giving up. The reality is that when it comes to the threat of the Contagion, if the Thesean is not able to learn from their mistakes, they will wind up dead. Death is not even final in this world. Many an unfortunate and unlucky Thesean has learned existence only appears to be finite while suffering can be eternal.

Theseans have learned not only how to adapt to their enemy’s methods but also how to adapt themselves. They learn from each other, and over time, the lines between what makes each Thesean different begins to blur as each one takes on features and strengths of their brethren. Rather than leave their weak to die, they uplift them to their level, and the strong only become stronger.

By channeling their energies, the Theseans shed their weakness and become more capable, more skilled, and even more brutal. The agora leaves its mark on each other and grow stronger for it as these marks inspire, rejuvenate, and even grant more power than what the individual Thesean may have had before. Difficult tasks become easier, and barriers in the Thesean’s path break as they shed their frailties and embrace their strengths.

An Uratha encourages their fellow Thesean as he learns how to track with all his senses. The Sin-Eater’s collective past inspires the mummy to shake off the weakness his resurging Memory has saddled him with as his power wanes. The Ventrue feels strengths gained from the assistance of their Ugallu scrum mate.

System: Using this vector allows the group to remove penalties from making untrained Skill rolls for a scene. The wielder must choose one other member of the crew to receive a mark painted onto their flesh in a location of their choosing. So long as this mark remains in place, the Thesean bearing the mark may use a combination of three Attributes or Skills the other Thesean possesses for the duration of the scene as if they were their own. Each use of Improve is singular, so when a Thesean marks a compatriot, this counts as one use of the vector. If one of those same Theseans marks another Thesean, or each other, it counts as a separate use of the power.

Cost: Each Thesean participating in the Improve vector must spend a Willpower Point.

Requirement: The Theseans must choose another member of the Sworn pact to mark with their sigil. These marks burn brightly and disappear once the scene ends. This vector always requires at least two participants.

Dice Pool: The Thesean giving their mark rolls Presence + Occult to create it. Failure means the mark does not take and the attempt must start over.

Action: Instant; takes one minute

Duration: One scene

Note: Some of the edges for this power affect the power user, while others affect the recipient. In the case where the vector user can use an edge, and the recipient can also do so, both benefits apply.

Edges

Mummies, Werewolves: You understand control better than any others, and you find your passions work themselves into your art as you leave your mark on your fellow Thesean. In addition to the normal bonuses, you can allow the marked Thesean to spend a single point of your Willpower should they need to do so.

Beasts, Hunters: Legends inspire you and push you to prove you are even greater than the heroes of the past. By drawing upon the strength of the mark, you are able to make a Stamina + Survival roll each round. Success allows you to temporarily draw one Tilt or Condition affecting the Thesean who marked you onto yourself for a number of turns equal to the number of successes you roll.

Mage, Sin-Eaters: You are able to seal greater power within your mark to better aid the recipient, maybe preserving their life a little longer. This allows the marked character to use their compatriot’s Speed or Defense for the scene.

Demons, Deviants, Prometheans: It could be because you were created with a specific purpose and so you seek to improve the flaws you see in others, or it could be you have had your form shaped by others and now seek to improve upon it yourself. You can take on the Specialties the Thesean you marked possesses, for the duration of the scene.

Changelings, Vampires: You understand the flow of pledges, blood, and life. The mark you bestow upon a comrade can in turn be passed from your target on to a third individual at no additional cost. It must be the target of the first Improve use who in turn transmits the mark to the third recipient, with no roll of Willpower expenditure required. All recipients must be Theseans.

Specializations

The Adamantine Arrow: The greatest gifts are often those sacrificed from the body and health, and mages of the Adamantine Arrow know this well. These Theseans may reduce their Strength, Dexterity, or Stamina to improve their team-mates’ Athletics, Brawl, or Weaponry Skills on a one for one dot basis, with a maximum Skill rating of 5 and a duration equal to the length of this vector. The dots return once the vector ends.

Frankensteins: Continually seeking improvement for your stitched together form gives you insight in how to improve the bodies of others. The effects of Improve apply to both Theseans using this vector, allowing each one to give the other a use of a single Attribute or Skill of the opposite party.

Take something apart, and you have a responsibility to put it back together again. That’s particularly true of the Thesean’s own body — risking life and limb is part of the deal, and no one expects to get out without a scratch, but the rest of the faction relies on each individual to look after herself. The strength of the whole wanes if one part breaks irreparably.

The Ship’s philosophy isn’t just abstract; Theseans learn how to rebuild themselves as well as the world around them. Such a reconstruction can be literal for those Theseans whose minds crackle with data and whose limbs are wrought from steel; for agents of a fleshier bent, arts of mending and rejuvenation can speed recovery and protect from harm. Learn the right mantras and incantations, be ready to scour away the tainted flesh and let it regrow anew, and even the Contagion’s touch might be excised — for a while.

A vampire stabs a blood pump into their dead flesh, invigorating the Vitae that flows through it. A Promethean threads metallic fibers through her skin that tingle with electrical current. A Sin-Eater pours ectoplasm over his gaping wounds, filling the injuries with phantasmal matter.

System: At the start of each story, a Thesean gains a number of Renewal points equal to their Stamina dots. A Renewal point can be spent reflexively at any time to heal two points of Health damage of any kind, even aggravated, or to heal a temporary physical Tilt or Condition such as Arm Wrack or Poisoned. Removing a Condition does not grant a Beat.

The Thesean can also spend a Renewal point to attempt to fight back the influence of a physical Contagion. Spending the point allows the character to make a Stamina + Resolve roll, with success removing the Contagion-Touched or Infected Conditions, although the roll suffers a penalty equal to the Stage of Infected. If the roll fails, Renewal cannot be used to try to remove the Condition again, and it will have to be cured via other means.

Cost: None

Requirement: When using Renewal, the Thesean must display an alteration or modification they have made to their body to stimulate its restoration

Dice Pool: None; or Stamina to remove a Contagious Condition

Action: Reflexive

Duration: Permanent

Edges

Changelings, Hunters, Mages: A character with this edge can spend a Renewal point to ignore all wound penalties and automatically remain conscious for the duration of the scene regardless of the amount of damage they have taken short of death itself. After the scene ends, all effects of the injuries the character has suffered will rapidly catch up with them.

Mummies, Prometheans, Werewolves, Vampires: Some denizens of the night are beset by supernatural curses and vulnerabilities. The Ship of Theseus treat these weaknesses as a problem that should be confronted and, ideally, overcome. A Thesean with this edge can spend a Renewal point and a Willpower point to suppress their banes for a scene, treating such sources of harm much as a human would rather than with supernaturally aggravated suffering.

Beasts, Sin-Eaters: The concept of mind over matter has a lot more impact when your very soul is bound to an ephemeral presence. There are ways of drawing deep on that bond to reinforce the failings of the flesh. A character with this edge can spent a point of Willpower when using a Renewal point to trigger two effects at the same time rather than one — healing twice as much damage, or damage and a physical Condition, etc.

Demons, Deviants: Don’t just accept a beating that’s incoming. These Theseans were built to adapt and evolve to meet a beating head on in the first place. A character with this edge gains one point of Armor against all attacks for the remainder of any scene in which they spend a Renewal point.

Specializations

Eshmaki: These Begotten are used to isolation and hav- ing to make do with less. They know what it is to hunger and go without. When using this vector, an Eshmaki may increase their Satiety by up to two levels to represent hidden stores of resilience.

Ordo Dracul: Dragons have been at the heart of some of the Ship’s most significant discoveries when it comes to the re-engineering of the self. Access to the shared resources and knowledge of the Theseans has wildly expanded their capabilities for experimentation and discovery. An Ordo Dracul Thesean that that suffers enough damage to cause Final Death can spend any remaining Renewal points to reform, awake, at the end of the scene, with the expended Renewal points healing aggravated damage on a one-for- one basis. The vampire is actually dead in the interim for all practical purposes, but their body, mind, and soul will reform regardless of what is done to the body, even in the face of complete bodily destruction.