[GAME] Let's Build a Conspiracy!

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Question 2b:
Which of the options in 2a are the actual goal?

Answer 2b- Diaspora and Shards
The bearers of the dead psychic's mind shards are collectively known as Diaspora.

Diaspora has a number of goals, being, in rough order of immediacy:

Hosts: Finding suitable new hosts for each Shard. Hosts eventually die, so it's each host's duty to find a replacement host to carry their individual Shard down the generations. "Suitable" may have different meanings for different hosts. Generally, the goal is to find someone with other latent or active psi powers, who would relish the power that bearing a Shard promises, and who would further the goals of Diaspora. Many hosts, however, instead choose favoured disciples or familial heirs. Talented hosts also have the lure of providing new psychic powers for Diaspora to incorporate and gain in power.

Reunification and Incarnation: Eventually, Diaspora wishes to reunite its/their Shards and reincarnate as a living being. Unfortunately, it currently lacks the technology or psionic knowledge to do so, but has nonetheless made some promising discoveries in its/their research. There is also the problem that some Shards have taken different paths and may not wish to be reunified, a problem that will need to be dealt with when the time comes.

Rule: Finally, a reunited Diaspora can crush its/their enemies and rule the world!

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Question 5
How many Shards are there?

Question 6
What happens to a Shard whose host dies without transferring to a new host?

Question 7
What kind of process or ritual is involved with transferring a Shard?

Question 8
What is the technique or technology required for reunification? Would it require a particular kind of host body or would it be a construct of psychic energy?

Question 9
Why does Diaspora want to rule the world? Or, what's an alternative to Diaspora's ultimate goal? (Really, Qn 2b again.)

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by ajardoor

Question 3: How old is the conspiracy? (Probably more than a couple decades at least...)

The conspiracy has its roots around the turn of the century (1900), but it doesn't really get going until the late 1920's.


Question 5:
What Psionic tools does the conspiracy use most commonly? (eg. Meditation, Drugs, Electronics, infectious psi, extreme stress, verbal/visual mental "brain hacks", ect.)

[ajardoor]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Question 5
How many Shards are there?

Question 6
What happens to a Shard whose host dies without transferring to a new host?

Question 7
What kind of process or ritual is involved with transferring a Shard?

Question 8
What is the technique or technology required for reunification? Would it require a particular kind of host body or would it be a construct of psychic energy?

Question 9
Why does Diaspora want to rule the world? Or, what's an alternative to Diaspora's ultimate goal? (Really, Qn 2b again.)

Answer 5: 20 by the last count, but five of those are either out of contact with the core of the conspiracy or actively rebelling. There could be more...

Answer 6: The Shard has hours equal to its Will to find a new host (it probably has a "ghost mode" psi power to help with this (some Shards lack the ghost power)) and possess it (ALL Shards have this power) before it simply..."dies(?)"

Answer 7: Two options; either a risky psychotronic one-hour-long technological procedure using a room-sized machine that rewires the host's brain for easy anchoring, OR a year-long but safe psychotronic drug program meant to develop a passive psychic power that anchors a Shard to you.

Answer 8: It is unknown how the reunification can be done - the conspiracy researches the issue without pause and committing countless crimes in the process. The current theory says a suitable host body AND the right developed psi power AND extremely complex brain surgery - all of which is currently beyond the conspiracy's current psychotronic tech.

Answer 9: The Shard personalities seem to genuinely believe that only their total leadership can save humanity from destruction by...whatever. They also crave power and respect.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Question 5:
What Psionic tools does the conspiracy use most commonly? (eg. Meditation, Drugs, Electronics, infectious psi, extreme stress, verbal/visual mental "brain hacks", ect.)

This one is renamed Question 10.

Answer 10: Drugs, "brain-hacking" psychotronic technology, and some genetic engineering.

[ericthered]

Level 2 Node
The North East Campus of Synthapharm
Details: Synthapharm as a whole is mostly clean from the conspiracy, but the director of north-east campus devotes as much research funding as possible to furthering the diaspora's goals, and its scientists and security forces are generally in on the conspiracy. Its lower level positions also serve as a cover job for some of the conspiracies operatives: the head grounds keeper is a talented hit man specializing in long distance fire. The campus is quite large and quite private. It has secure buildings, and valid excuses for many items that would otherwise be incriminating. Synthapharm often supplies mundane explainations and cover stories for other actions of the conspiracy. Its a common place to hide and dispose of prisoners (the biowaste incinerators are quite convenient). Its a pool of very talented researchers. The director of the north-east campus is a telepath.
Connections:
The Becket group almost certainly has interests in Synthapharm, though it probably doesn't control it, it has enough influence to protect the north-east campus. The Campus funnels a lot of drugs to the Highshores project for testing and money laundering.

Question 11:
What State or small nation is "ground zero" for this presentation of the conspiracy?

[ajardoor]

Originally Posted by ericthered

Question 11:
What State or small nation is "ground zero" for this presentation of the conspiracy?

Answer 11: Brazil. The conspiracy keeps an old plantation estate as a "private vacation spot" and backup laboratory in the jungle there. Wherever any runoff from the Nazis who fled Europe after World War 2 via the Rat Lines are involved, is up in the air.

Question 12: What is the latest psychotronic super-drug the conspiracy has perfected and what does it do?

[ajardoor]

Level 4 Response
Double Cross
Details: The conspiracy arranges for a nasty betrayal of the players. They may sucker them into a false-flag job with a promise of a big reward (that is booby-trapped and easily traced). If they have already inserted a mole into their inner circle or turned an ally, they have them burnt in the most destructive way (usually a suicide bombing or leading them into an ambush).

Level 5 Response
Lure and Destroy
Details: The conspiracy purposefully exposes a major asset and loading it up with extreme security measures and supernatural firepower, hoping that the players attack it and get killed in the attempt. If the players survive the ambush, the conspiracy will find itself exhausted and vulnerable, and the players may have seized major resources - the endgame has started.

Question 13: Are there any other conspiracies that are rivals to the Diaspora? Are they also psychics?

[Michele]

Level 1 Response
Smear Campaign
Details: The Conspiracy uses basic, mundane tools to damage the reputation of the opponent. This is considered just as a mild warning for somebody who is not yet a true and knowledgeable enemy, but who is becoming a nuisance. If the target has any weaknesses or secrets, these will be exploited and exposed. If not (or, sometimes, in addition to real issues), entirely made up allegations will be made. The campaign will reach in various ways (anonymous letters, rumours, false denunciations, etc.) anybody connected with the target: relatives, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, employers or clients, and the authorities. Of course, social media will also be used. Law enforcement officers working for the Conspiracy will interrogate people who know the target, about the possibility that the target is involved in heinous crimes (terrorism, pedophilia, drug trafficking).

[ericthered]

Level 5 Node:
The Melded Disciples
Details: Five of the shard hosts have achieved a pseudo permanent gestalt, remaining in constant mental contact and wielding considerable psionic powers. The Disciples were powerful psis before they acquired the mind shards and became a gestalt. Each of them is a legal ghost, with multiple false identities and no permanent presence. Each move from place to place in the consipiracy's holdings, along with a small army of aides and guards. Each has one or more false multi-millionaires who appears to in charge, but the disciple will be hidden among the staff. The Disciples are individually formidable, and wield great authority in the conspiracy.

Connections: The Disciples claim to be the true heirs of the original mind, by dint of being the biggest chunk of him remaining. In practice, their claims are marred by their relative youth in the diaspora: many of the other shards have been hosts for much longer. The leadership of the conspiracy belongs to Node One, but that node is more than happy to allow the melded disciples to appear in control. The rest of the diaspora generally follow that lead.

Originally Posted by ajardoor

Answer 11: Brazil. The conspiracy keeps an old plantation estate as a "private vacation spot" and backup laboratory in the jungle there. Wherever any runoff from the Nazis who fled Europe after World War 2 via the Rat Lines are involved, is up in the air.

Umm.. Brazil doesn't count as a "small nation". You could pick a State within Brazil though... Ground zero would mean the area that the campaign starts in by default.



Question 14:
Where did the original mind live?


Question 15:

What year did the original mind die? (remember the conspiracy kind of starts around 1900, but gets going in the 1920's)

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by ajardoor

Answer 9: The Shard personalities seem to genuinely believe that only their total leadership can save humanity from destruction by...whatever. They also crave power and respect.

We can probably come back to that once we have a firmer idea of who the original psychic was.

Originally Posted by ericthered

Question 14:
Where did the original mind live?

Question 15:
What year did the original mind die? (remember the conspiracy kind of starts around 1900, but gets going in the 1920's)

Answer 14+15
The original psychic was a subject of the Ottoman Empire who was executed in 1839. His psychic Shards were scattered to hosts across the globe, and it took nearly 50 years for any of them to meet (at least without killing each other, which may have happened a few times.) In 1889, two Shards found themselves in Brazil on opposite sides of the coup against Pedro II, one fighting with da Fonseca, the other a member of the emperor's court. Their meeting formed the kernel of Diaspora, with them making strategic plans on how to form and fund the eventual conspiracy as well as working on how to gather the other Shards together. Eventually, after 11 years of work, the first core of seven Shards sat down together in Rio de Janeiro.

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Question 16
Who was the original Ottoman psychic? Why was he executed?

Question 17
Who were the two Shards involved in the coup against Pedro II?

Question 18
What kind of place was the 1900 meeting held in?

[ajardoor]

Level 3 Response
Going Dark
Details: The conspiracy goes on the defensive and regroups by ceasing activity in any Nodes that were connected to the last Node the players hit AND at least one other Node on the same Level. The Nodes have their agents go underground or otherwise shut down their operations, burning any evidence as fast as they can. The "dark" Nodes will become active (and vulnerable) again once players hit another Node of any Level.