Chapter One Sample, part 1 - Autourgics (Patreon)

Origins

Origins reflect a character’s state of consent at the moment of Divergence. While some Remade retain the same attitude towards their transformation now that they had then, many have evolving views of the net cost/benefit of their Divergence. If they had it to do again, some Exomorphs would have welcomed the power they gained when they were Broken, and no few Autourgics discover they regret their transformations. Origin should therefore be considered a starting point, not a reflection of a character’s current attitudes towards their Remade condition. Any Origin can lead a Deviant to life as a Renegade (or a Devoted).

A character’s Origin often says more about the conspiracy that made them than it does about the Deviant themself. Moreover, a conspiracy’s preference of Origin can evolve over time.

Below are 50 Deviant backstories that lead Remade to become Renegades. They’re organized by Origin, but most could just as easily apply to a character of another Origin. For example, the Exomorph might well have grown sympathetic towards the conspiracy that made her, only to run afoul of a bad boss or workplace rival who drove her to go rogue. Remember also that while all paths in these character concepts lead to Renegades, the roads to becoming Devoted are just as numerous and varied.

Autourgic Renegades

Conspiracies with a large population of Elect are often among the most ethical in the Web of Pain. This is certainly relative. These conspiracies must still violate their subjects’ bodies and minds in unthinkably awful ways to trigger the Divergence. But at least those they recruit go into the process with the risks clearly disclosed, even if they can’t truly understand what the experience will be like. Autourgic-heavy conspiracies rely on their recruits’ loyalty and dedication to a cause or ideal. Many are government-sanctioned groups that can wave the flag of nationalism to win over patriots, while others are religious orders that can rely upon their adherents’ zeal to ensure a steady supply of willing subjects. Elect-heavy conspiracies are also the most likely to know about and fight against hostile supernatural forces in the world, sharing this knowledge with potential Divergence candidates to inspire them to offer themselves as soldiers in that hidden war. A large minority of conspiracies begin with a Self-Made Autourgic as a founder.

In times when the body count rises, or cultural factors make patriotism, zeal, and sacrifices for the greater good a less common refrain in the population, Autourgic-dominated conspiracies must often adapt. Many turn to recruiting existing Remade, either poaching them from rival conspiracies or seeking out Renegades or Pathologicals who might be stirred by the conspiracy’s higher purpose. Sufficiently desperate conspiracies, finding it impossible to meet their recruitment goals in any other way, might resort to deception or outright abduction to meet their quotas (producing Epimorphs and Exomorphs).

On the other hand, a successful conspiracy with a large pool of Autourgic Devoted may unlock the secrets of producing Genotypals, laying the foundation for an important shift in its focus. This is by no means assured, however, since it depends on whether the conspiracy is able to isolate the root cause of one type of Divergence and reliably reproduce it.

Bad Apple: Divergence offered you power, which you have long craved. You didn’t much care what the conspiracy’s true goals were as long as you benefited. For a long time, you did. You did your job, but you also enjoyed the power your Variations granted you outside of working hours. Technically, you signed a code of ethics or behavior or some shit, but adhering to it never crossed your mind. You were one of the conspiracy’s few success stories. You were irreplaceable, far too precious to discard over some venial violation, whether it was exacting petty revenge on old enemies or earning a few grand extra selling your unique services to outside parties. Then those bastards told you they weren’t going to let you work for them anymore. You were giving their whole organization a bad name, and finance ran some numbers with the PR department and decided you were costing them more money than you were earning. They…fired you. Like some incompetent custodian or a telemarketer who missed her quota one month too many. But you’ll show them they’ve made a grave mistake.

Corruption: The conspiracy used to be something you could believe in — not perfect, but basically well-intentioned and filled with people who wanted to make the world a better place. You’re not sure exactly when that changed. Maybe it was the new CEO. Maybe it was the IPO. Maybe it was after the head of R&D was killed in that laboratory accident. Regardless, it isn’t the same place anymore. It isn’t a good place to work, and any good it might still be accomplishing is far outstripped by the harm it inflicts. So, you left. It wasn’t easy. You still have friends there, after all. But you know it was the right decision.

Discarded: You chose Divergence, chose it knowing something of what it would cost you, knowing there could be no turning back. You woke with remarkable gifts. You woke with a confidence you had never felt in your life. Then you saw the frowns on the faces of the scientists as they tested you. You had gained impossible powers, but maybe they weren’t as potent or as useful as the conspiracy had hoped. Or perhaps the burdens you gained during the process were too disruptive or more severe than was acceptable. It’s even possible that your new abilities were too powerful, and the conspiracy feared it wouldn’t be able to control you. Whatever the case, they decided they didn’t want you. They might have flown you to an unfamiliar, faraway city and abandoned you, or perhaps you woke up one day and found that they had taken all their equipment and staff and left for places unknown. Either way, you don’t know how to find them, and doubt they would take you back even if you did.

Extinct Conspiracy: The conspiracy was home to you when you had nowhere else to go and no one else to care for you. You liked working there. You liked your coworkers. You believed in its mission. Yours was the first name on the list when they asked for volunteers for a special new treatment. But then something happened. At the time, you thought it a catastrophic accident, one that in an instant took away everyone and everything you loved. You only survived because of your remarkable abilities. As you picked through the rubble, looking for survivors, you discovered evidence of foul play. Now you seek the ones responsible.

Mission Accomplished: You volunteered for the Divergence out of a sense of duty or to achieve an objective that would have been impossible without the power it granted. It was an act of self-sacrifice you embraced at the time and didn’t regret afterwards. Whatever it is that drove you to choose Divergence, you accomplished it. That was supposed to be the end. You turned in your resignation — or your Progenitor released you from his service as agreed when you volunteered — and you walked away. But then you started to notice the black sedans waiting wherever you went. One day, a gentleman in a well-tailored suit got out of one and made you an offer: use your powers in the service of his employer. You refused him, but he and his associates have proven unwilling to take no for an answer.

New Boss: You were satisfied with your life at the conspiracy until he arrived. Maybe he was part of a routine management shake-up, or maybe he forced out (or murdered) your previous boss. Maybe he still claims to be the same boss as ever, but he acts like a different person. The point is that he was trying to make your life miserable (or planned to get rid of you in a permanent fashion), so you took action. You may or may not have gone berserk at your office and left his body in a shallow grave before you left, but you’re out now, and there’s no going back.

Self-Loathing: You volunteered for the process or ritual that led to your Divergence, but you realized almost immediately that it was a mistake. You hate what you’ve become, and you hate the ones who convinced you to go through with it even more.

Truth Revealed: The conspiracy seemed benevolent, at first. You served it loyally, gave more of yourself to it than was probably wise. But gradually you became aware of some questionable practices. You brought them to your superior’s attention, and she assured you that these violations would be investigated, the perpetrators disciplined. Except that didn’t happen, so you started looking into matters on your own, which led you to a terrible truth. These awful practices weren’t anomalies; they were standard procedure. The more you looked, the more you realized your beloved organization was a cancer in the world. Most of those it Remade didn’t have the choice you had. You met some of them, heard their stories firsthand. You helped them escape, and together you work to bring down the conspiracy you once served.

Unacceptable Order: You were a loyal agent of the conspiracy, obeying its commands unquestioningly until the day you received an order you found you could not obey. Maybe it was a suicide mission or a doomed last stand. Maybe you were ordered to report for a dangerous new treatment or for vivisection. Maybe you were instructed to hurt someone you cared about or perpetrate an abominable crime that was a bridge too far even for you. Whatever the specifics, you either fled rather than obey the order, or you carried out the instruction but were so shaken by doing so that you left the conspiracy soon after.

Weary Soldier: You’ve served the conspiracy for as long as anyone can remember — before and after your Divergence. You have done unspeakable things in its interests. Maybe you could reasonably convince yourself that it was all for the greater good, or maybe you know full well you’ve spent your life furthering the goals of criminals and villains. In any case, you tired of that life and walked away. Perhaps you went with your conspiracy’s blessing and a nice severance package — or at least a retirement plan better than “one bullet in the chest and one in the back of the head.” Or maybe you faked your own death or carved a bloody path out of the conspiracy. Regardless, you’re out. Deprived of the protection they granted you, though, other conspiracies have come calling.

Workplace Drama: It could have started with a small conflict — a disagreement at the weekly staff meeting, a tendency to chew with her mouth open, bad taste in music. Or maybe you had an instant dislike for one another. Regardless, it soon worsened until it started to interfere with both your jobs, and eventually the sniping, backbiting, and personal sabotage attracted the attention of HR. Despite their efforts at mediation, as it turned out, the conspiracy wasn’t big enough for both of you. Maybe you walked away while she stayed, or maybe you arranged a little accident that people weren’t convinced was an accident after all. In any case, you didn’t stick around to find out what happened next. The conspiracy is probably still looking for you, and it will be big trouble if they find you.