Chapter One Sample, part 1 - Cephalists and Chimerics (Patreon)

Clades

Most conspiracies, including many progenitor conspiracies, only know of one method of triggering Divergence. Clade is not a concept they have yet grasped. It is generally only when a conspiracy encounters others like itself in the Web of Pain that its conspirators begin to realize that other types of Remade are possible. For those who must discuss Broken with colleagues, “Clade” makes for useful shorthand.

The five Clades described in Deviant: The Renegades are only the most common scheme by which Deviants in the Web of Pain are divided. Some models divide the Remade into dozens or even hundreds of Clades based on a variety of factors. A Coactive produced through a chemical cocktail might belong to a different Clade from one exposed to the energies of an otherworld, for example, and two Broken exposed to the same otherworldly energy belong to different Clades if they don’t share all Adaptations and Forms in common.

Clades are descriptions that conspiracies of the Web of Pain give to certain patterns of Divergence. While they accurately describe trends in the way Remade are transformed and the abilities they tend to manifest, they cannot encompass every Deviant nor include every documented exception. Many myths and misconceptions surround the definition of Clade. As well, there are disagreements among experts in the Web of Pain as to exactly what Clade represents.

Clade as Methodology

Some Progenitors regard the method by which Divergence is achieved as the sole determiner of Clade. Deviants are sufficiently varied (and rare) that this approach doesn’t have appreciably more exceptions to it than do other definitions. In these models, Cephalist methodologies involve forcing the subject into an altered state of consciousness, while Mutants involve some form of gene therapy, and so on.

Clade as Power Source

The connection between a Deviant’s powers and the crack in their soul is not widely recognized by conspiracies. Individual conspirators have conflicting ideas about how Remade gain and use their Variations, but those who are aware of differences in the “flavor” of these powers often use this to identify a Broken’s Clade.

A Cephalist’s Variations manifest as more potent versions of “ordinary” psychic powers — from telepathy to telekinesis to an ability to sense beings invisible to ordinary sight. A Chimeric’s Variations manifest as animal traits and capabilities bestowed upon human subjects; they are creatures of honed instincts, keens senses, and animalistic strength, speed, and cunning. A Coactive’s Variations fit one of two broad categories: those derived from tangible, real-world energies like heat and electricity, and those that flow from occult or otherworldly sources. Many conspiracies treat these two sides of the same coin as entirely different Clades, although lumping them together under a single Clade is a common practice due to their other similarities. An Invasive’s Variations are specialized hardware or software that enhances or expands upon the Deviant’s natural abilities. A Mutant’s Variations manifest as impossible feats of biology.

These generalizations are barely more accurate than any other stereotypes. Some Deviants possess Variations that are more commonly associated with one Clade but have the trappings of another Clade.

Clade as Adaptations

Some conspiracies have observed that while the panoply of known Variations is vast, the number of Adaptations Remade possess is much smaller. A handful of Divergence scientists have taken to using Adaptations to divide Deviants into Clades. This is often more precise than other methods of cataloguing the transformed (although still not without exceptions), but in practice it can be harder to observe. Whereas Remade tend to use their Variations intuitively and nearly immediately, Adaptations often do not come into play until the Remade is under pressure approaching desperation. Successfully forcing a Deviant to fall back on her Adaptations can be a challenge nearly on par with triggering the Divergence in the first place.

Also, as the science of Divergence has advanced, its scholars have discovered new Adaptations and have found a handful of Remade who appear to possess Adaptations of multiple Clades. It isn’t yet clear whether these are the normal unpredictable oddities that arise when working with the Divergence, or an indicator that the entire model of Clades is flawed.

Clade as Experience

Some conspiracies have Devoted among their highest-ranking Divergence scientists, and a few of them have put forth an alternate Clade model that focuses on the perspectives of the Remade. It is inarguable that Broken experience their internal and external worlds differently than do Baselines, but these loyalists claim that those perceptions are Clade-specific. The generalities they describe give the Devoted of more liberal conspiracies a way of making sense of their experiences and provide a topic of discussion suitable for small talk. Many larger conspiracies engage guest lecturers to teach these concepts to Devoted and Baseline agents alike to aid in recruiting new Deviants or in creating environments where retaining Devoted need not involve ankle monitors, much less shock collars and cages.

Conspiracies with less interest in the inner lives of their test subjects often regard Experiential Clades as worthless pop psychology, astrology, or pseudoscience, as useful in creating a coherent taxonomy as asking animals what phylum, class, and species they belong to. When they wish to justify this attitude, they observe that Baseline agents often use the model to justify their prejudices against and mistreatment of Remade. Many Devoted (and some Renegades) also use it to excuse their own bad behavior.

Nevertheless, this doesn’t prevent even Renegades from using the model’s language to describe themselves and discuss their experiences with one another.

Cephalists

Psychics blur the distinction between their minds and the world around them. Experiential Clades recognize Biokinetics, Clairsentients, Psychokinetics, and Telepaths.

Biokinetics exert control over their own bodies and minds. They have a deep awareness of who and what they are, but they also recognize that they can overcome their personal limits through will alone. Seemingly impossible to rattle, Biokinetics shine in high-pressure situations where their strength of will and self-control allow them to function when Baselines would panic or get stuck. Their competitive streak can create problems if it manifests in situations that demand cooperation.

Clairsentients are keen observers, their ordinary senses and third eyes open to information beyond the perceptions of Baselines. Their sensitivity is more than just an expansion of their ordinary senses. They feel their environment as though their nerve endings were connected to the things around them. They don’t see, hear, smell, or touch phenomena so much as they are those phenomena and are observing themselves. Clairsentients’ curiosity can distract them from routine or familiar tasks.

Psychokinetics exert control over the matter and energy in their environment. It isn’t just that they command those objects and forces. These aspects of the world are as much an extension of themselves as their arms and legs, waiting for the silent mental command to lift, bend, or straighten. Psychokinetics are competent and confident, able to call up reserves of inner strength that make the impossible look effortless. However, their self-assuredness can stray into overconfidence, or even outright hubris.

Telepaths experience the thoughts and emotions of others as though they were their own, and most also possess the ability to make others’ minds mirrors of their own — at least temporarily. Telepaths are frighteningly empathetic and charismatic. Those around them yield to these Psychics’ desires as though they shared them. A Telepath’s empathy can be her weakness, however, as she suffers a portion of others’ physical and emotional pain when they are nearby, especially when she is the cause.

Chimerics

Hybrids take a portion of the primordial into themselves, exhibiting adaptations that help ensure their survival. Experiential Clades include Companions, Killers, Skulkers, and Survivors.

Companions are adapted to be loyal and friendly. They prefer to work in groups and serve best in supporting roles. They are not leaders, but their presence serves as a social lubricant. They add life, energy, and occasional comic relief to any social group whose membership they share. Companions can be passive and lazy, failing to take the initiative when it doesn’t involve cheering on the rest of the team.

Hunters are adapted for hunting and killing. They are aggressive and have a reputation as fierce and capable warriors. They are instinctively decisive, acting without needing to deliberate at length. They are generous in sharing the fruits of the hunt — whether literal or figurative — with those they regard as kin. Their tendency to default to violence and the path of least resistance can create serious problems when diplomacy or finesse is required.

Lurkers are adapted to avoid or escape attention. Their unobtrusiveness makes them excellent scouts and spies. They are cautious and observant. If forced to defend themselves, they fight dirty until their opponent loses the power to fight or until they can safely flee. Lurkers have a reputation as hoarders of treasure and junk alike, as well as information they can leverage to get out of a tight spot. They are often cowards and cannot be trusted to keep others’ secrets if put in a position where bartering with them will save their skins.

Survivors are adapted to resist or endure harm. They make excellent enforcers and bodyguards, fearlessly putting their bodies between their charges and danger. They are relentless, patient, and almost impossible to intimidate. Survivors are not very imaginative. It’s not that they necessarily lack intelligence (although genius is rare among them), but they prefer straightforward solutions and familiar plans of action to those that require a novel problem-solving approach.