Forum (IB)
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| Starfox's Blades in the Dark hack |
Consensu humanum — the sphere of human accord.
Devices that mediate between minds: communication, identity, and persuasion. Com gear, Nemes, attire, symbols of authority, and instruments of leadership. Associated with: Resolve, presence, will, and the arts of cooperation and command.
Inventory — Imperio (Insight) — Limes (Prowess) — Forum (Resolve)
Quality of Life
Neme
- 1 ■ Neme
Personal assistant systems — limited AI companions that manage identification, communication, translation, scheduling, research, and routine administration. Every citizen in the System is expected to carry one; a person without a Neme is considered unreachable, untrustworthy, or primitive. Models vary in discretion, power, and personality, but all share the same basic architecture: a distributed mind embedded in personal hardware and mirrored across the network.
Originally NEME — Neural Executive & Memory Environment — the name comes from the Muse Mneme (Memory); common usage dropped the initial “M.” Pronounced NEE-mee.
A standard Neme contains a compact processor core, an audio interface or earpiece for conversation and real-time translation, and — for users who prefer visual augmentation — an optional visor or contact-lens display providing text, imagery, and situational overlays. The hardware holds the personality and memory to keep it private from the net; users describe their Neme as an extension of thought rather than a tool.
Every Neme includes a suite of personal-scale sensors: passive radio, optical, thermal, magnetic, radiation, and chemical monitoring within a few meters, plus biometric and positional tracking. The Neme cross-references these inputs against health, atmospheric safety, and local navigation data to provide unobtrusive situational awareness. It also monitors public nets and sensors for chosen alerts.
Neme sensors are passive and low-power — they lack the range and resolution of belt/pack sensors but give every person a local bubble of awareness. Advanced models can form ad-hoc networks to map shared space or coordinate group activity; this requires consent and carries the usual privacy implications. In many habitats Nemes also serve civic functions, maintaining environmental logs and validating transactions.
You can pick up another's Neme, but to operate it you need to hack it or convince it that you are it's owner, which is very difficult, especially if it has a high Quality.
To live in the System is to live with your Neme — your memory, interpreter, and witness.
Skinsuit Customizer
Use this to customize a skinsuit; it can change transparency, color, and luminosity, as well as pad itself where needed. It can even show animations or alter itself over time. Programs for fashionable patterns are hot commodities.
Fashion
- 1 ■ Fashion
A fashionable outfit and personal grooming that lets you appear several Tiers above your own. Generally requires a light Load; carrying a change of clothes counts as Load ☐. Conspicuous. If you dress two or more Tiers above yourself, make a Quality roll: 1–3: immediate attention and Heat. 4–6: 2 Heat. 6: No Heat.
Colors
- 1 ■ Colors
A canned solution to project belonging to a subculture. Conspicuous. When you draw attention, make a Quality roll: 1–3: immediate attention and Heat. 4–6: 2 Heat. 6: No Heat.
Virtual Reality Rig
- 1 ☐ Virtual Reality Rig.
Simple virtual experiences can be accessed through a Neme, but this is a pale imitation. True Virtual Reality requires dedicated equipment: goggles, earpieces, and gloves. These can be paired with a Skinsuit to enhance tactile feedback. The most immersive experience, however, comes from a stationary gimballed system, which can move and rotate the user in sync with the simulation.
License
- 1 ■ License
A License must be on your playbook to use it in play; you cannot simply pick one up during an Operation. You may need connections or proof of competence to add one to your playbook. Higher-Tier communities issue higher-Quality licenses, but demand more proof and justification before granting them.
A license grants legal authorization to possess or operate restricted technology within inhabited or regulated areas, typically extending 0.01 light-seconds (≈3,000 km) from permanent habitation. Physically it may be a signed document or sigil-stamped token, but what matters is the correct authorization code recorded in your Neme.
There are two main categories of license:
- Personal — covers weapons, armor, and specialized tools tagged Regulated or Military.
- Vehicle — covers spacecraft, atmospheric craft, and heavy equipment tagged Regulated or Military.
Each license can be held at two permission levels:
- Operate — allows you to use or pilot the licensed equipment within local legal limits.
- Possession — allows you to store and transport the items within local legal limits, and to operate the equipment in restricted areas (aboard your ship or on private property), in dedicated facilities (shooting ranges, enclosed thoroughfares), or in the wild.
Common allocations:
- Civilians such as bounty hunters, licensed bodyguards, and wilderness guides usually hold an Operate authorization for Personal Regulated equipment.
- Mercenaries, police, and military personnel typically hold Possession authorization for Personal Military equipment.
- Pilots and transport crews often hold Operate authorization for Vehicle Regulated craft and Possession authorization for Vehicle Military craft.
- No license is required in deep space or unregulated zones, though individual ships may enforce their own rules for passengers and crew.
Most equipment and vehicles do not require a license to operate. Personal weapons and particularly dangerous vehicles (such as construction machines) are tagged Regulated, while weapons able to penetrate armor and all armed vehicles designed to operate in habitable environments are tagged Military. All spacecraft include at least point-defense weapons for protection from meteoroids, which can be repurposed as offensive systems; even drives and the ship itself can serve as weapons, but it is considered impractical to regulate such general capabilities.
Consequences: lacking the proper license risks confiscation, fines, or arrest. These consequences can be Resisted by rolling the license’s Quality (representing authority and legal assistance). Continued violations may increase penalties or lead to blacklisting.
Unreliable. Local recognition outside the issuing polity depends on the Quality of the license and the Tier of the jurisdiction. When presenting a license, roll Quality:
- if any die is 6 or equals the local Tier — the license is accepted immediately.
- if any die ≥ 4 but none match Tier — expect delay; the license will usually clear in days, but you may face temporary restriction or confiscation.
- if no die ≥ 4 or Tier, whichever is lowest — the license is invalid here.
Media
Media Drone
- 1 ☐ Media Drone
A compact recording and broadcast drone equipped with stabilized optics, directional mikes, and enhanced net uplink. It trails its user or films from the front, automatically framing shots and tagging subjects via visual cues, but can also be Neme-controlled to act as a remote camera. Regular cameras are not really in professional use; you either use your Neme or a drone. Unreliable: recording quality is always adequate but not might not be commercial grade without a skilled technician managing it.
Mood Mask
- 3 ☐ Mood Mask
A programmable facial-film overlay that acts as animated cosmetics — shifting coloration, highlighting expression, and enhancing emotional cues for performance or persuasion. This can also alter your voice, it can improve a performance, make you seem to be speaking another language, and change your voice entirely. Can make the wearer appear calm, sincere, or radiant, or serve as an instant facial disguise in a pinch. Defeats a Stress Analyzer. Unreliable: prolonged use causes flicker, desynchronisation, or visible pixeling under bright light.
Stress Analyzer
- 3 ☐ Stress Analyzer
An tool that senses short-term physiological markers of stress: pupil dilation, facial blood flow, micro-tremor, and respiration changes. Helps detect lies, nervousness, or hostile intent; can produce false positives from non-deceptive emotions. +1d Judge to detect short-term deception. Unreliable: Number of dice rolled can't be equal or higher than Quality.
Popular with police and security, less so with socialites.
Mixing Board
- 1 ☐ Mixing Board
An editor or broadcast technician uses a mixing board to control multiple inputs—cameras, FX systems like a Stage Drone Swarm or Holo Stage, and other communication devices and able to add visual effects, both real and virtual even generate entirely digital media. A complex broadcast covering several performers or journalists on-site is nearly impossible without one; basic work of this kind can be managed on a Neme.
Communication Booster
A relay unit that extends communication range and fidelity, best placed with a clear line of sight. It primarily relays radio and laser communications. When radio is functional, setup is quick and simple. When The Fall disrupts radio, laser communication is required, demanding a handshake with another laser unit—typically a ship or relay station—which takes time and influence to arrange.
Stage Drone Swarm
A coordinated group of miniature copter drones providing lighting, sound, smoke, and laser effects for spontaneous or improvised performance. Used by entertainers, politicians, and religious figures to turn any space into a stage. Active, Unreliable: vulnerable to interference, cross-link failures, and collision in confined areas.
Holographics
Holographic Display Cartridge
All holo projectors operate by releasing micro-machines into still or predictably moving air; gusts or turbulence rapidly disrupt the cloud. Each projector runs on cartridges of uncertain duration. One cartridge is included with the device; this entry covers the cost and load of an extra cartridge. Active, Unreliable: Roll Quality to determine cartridge duration: 1–3: 5 minutes 4–5: 15 minutes 6: 30 minutes. Jamming, air currents, or movement within the field reduce the duration by one category each.
Holo Suit
- 6 ☐ Holo Suit
A wearable projection system that emits a dense field of light-scattering micro-machines around the wearer, forming a holographic overlay. Used for performance or self-expression, it can add clothing, change apparent build, or even mimic another creature. It cannot diminish size or conceal fast movement; close observers see distortion where the projection lags the body. Commonly used to appear taller or larger than life during a performance. As a disguise, it works only on stage or at distance — the scale and lag make it unnatural up close.
The suit projects continuously from emitters woven into a flexible belt or collar and replenishes micro-machines from replaceable cartridges. Requires clean air and steady power; turbulence, wind, or particle drift can tear the illusion. Active, Unreliable: Duration and cartridge use are identical to those of a Holographic Display Cartridge.
Holo Avatar Drone
A hovering copter drone that disperses and illuminates micro-machines to project an animated, life-size holographic figure or symbol and functions as a Media Drone. The drone’s projectors create convincing visual and auditory presence for remote communication, negotiation, or intimidation. The image can walk, gesture, and speak, but cannot physically interact. Commonly used for remote negotiation, decoys, public announcements, and psychological operations. Range is limited to local comms or direct Neme link. Active: detectable by EM sensors.
Holo Projector
- 4 ☐☐☐ Holo Projector
A portable projection mat that fills the air above it with a fine mist of short-lived micro-machines, forming volumetric holograms visible from all angles. The projector can create life-sized figures, environmental backdrops, or immersive displays for performance, briefing, or ritual. It can obscure or decorate objects within the field but cannot make them invisible. It comes in three square sizes, which can be combined to cover a larger area:
- ☐ Two-meter side and projection height. Takes one minute to lay out and activate.
- ☐☐ Five-meter side and projection height. Takes five minutes to lay out and activate.
- ☐☐☐ Ten-meter side and projection height. Takes thirty minutes to lay out and activate.
Holo Projector Drone Swarm
A swarm of small Drones that fly in formation, releasing a fine mist of short-lived micro-machines to create volumetric holograms visible from all angles. Each swarm can cover about 30 m³ in a minute, and multiple swarms can operate together to expand the projection area. These drones cannot be recharged with a Holographic Display Cartridge; their operational duration is identical, but once depleted, the swarm must be replaced entirely.
Personal Recorder Stalks
- 4 ☐ Stereo Recorder
A personal 3D recorder consisting of twin sensor orbs mounted on flexible stalks that extend from a headband or collar. The “eyes” adjust their position to capture stereoscopic light and sound, producing lifelike depth and spatial realism. Unreliable: prone to motion jitter or comedic misalignment when the wearer moves abruptly. Recordings remain usable but rarely of professional quality.
Holo Recorder Swarm
- 3 ☐ Holo Recorder
Small swarm of holographic capture drones that records volumetric scenes in three dimensions using micro-machine aerosol and polarized light grids. Can cover about 1,000 m³. Capable of preserving an event for later playback on any Holo Stage or Holo Avatar Drone. Active, Unreliable: susceptible to drift, interference, and environmental contamination; multiple takes preferred.
Persona
Disguise
- 1 ☐ Disguise
A disguise prepared in your base you don when needed; a minute does so securely, spending only a few seconds is possible but chancy.
Disguise Kit Pack
- 1 ☐☐ Disguise Kit Pack
Allow on-site creation of a Disguise from records or direct observation. Matches the targets appearance when the data is collected, which gives an advantage to on-site observation.
Concealed Neme
- 1 ■ Concealed Neme
In certain circumstances you may be asked to leave your Neme behind; this allows you to appear to do so while still having access using a duplicate. Unreliable. Using your Neme to communicate risks being detected.
Spoofed Neme
- 2 ■ Spoofed Neme
A neme that projects a manufactured personality. Any in-depth check is likely to spot fault with this. Unreliable. Using your Neme to communicate risks being detected.
Phantom Neme
- 4 ■ Phantom Neme
A neme that projects a manufactured persona, issued by a friendly polity or bribed official, showing an invented identity matching your DNA code. Inspection can't find fault with this, but it does accumulate a "paper trail" whenever you use it. The manufactured identity generally has a Tier 3 lower than that of the Phantom Neme, and this is the effective Quality it uses to pass security checks, not that it risks being spotted, it just grants you less privilege than you are used to. There is no design for a Phantom Meme, each Item is a unique data set encoded by a quter.
So, Carlström from Vetabix III? Not that Vetabix III inspires trust, but such an odd Scandinavian name on top of that?
- — Jonsson, Security officer
Forgery Pen
- 1 ☐ Forgery Pen
Fakes a signature; you can write using another's handwriting. Many contracts and encoded documents are still hand-signed. This pen is a subtle work of art carried in a fancy box, which explains the load. Regulated.
Hand Forgery Kit
- 1 ☐ Hand Forgery Kit
A compact kit for producing convincing physical and electronic forgeries — seals, paper, glass IDs, and spoofed files. Unreliable.: Usually passes casual inspection automatically; cursory database or forensic checks frequently reveal defects, a forensic lab will automatically reveal the truth after some time Allows on-site forgeries, especially useful if you lacked information when preparing for an Operation.
Forgery Kit Pack
- 1 ☐☐ Forgery Kit Pack
An expanded version of the Hand Forgery Kit that can produce ■ items such as copies of small items that look like the original to casual observation, entire catalogues of data, and biometric identifiers such as faux retina, fingerprint, and blood samples.
Surveillance
Surveillance Drone
- 3 ☐ Surveillance Drone
A tiny drone and the gear needed to use it. The size of an insect, or even a cybernetically enhanced insect, this is a small listening and limited camera drone able to pass through pipes and cracks. The drone is controlled by an expert system in order to make tracing it more difficult; it can report by returning to base or by burning itself out in a final burst of information once a set goal has been achieved. Secure systems are supposed to be screening these; a Quality roll against the Tier of the installation can usually find a vulnerability.
Automated Security Kit
- 3 ☐ Automated Security Kit
An Expert System packaged with a compact Security Tool Kit. Place the unit against a lock, terminal, or alarm and it works autonomously to probe, bypass, or jam simple security. Unreliable.: When used roll Quality and step the result down once on the usual outcome ladder (Critical → Success → Opposed Success → Failure → Fumble). Consequences often involve lost time.
Data Tap
- 1 ☐ Data Tap
Plug this into a network and it will record traffic for later replay and decoding. It can be instructed to report using the network it is connected to, but this is risky; preferably you have someone come read it physically. Data is then uncoded on an advanced computer, or preferably quter. This can take a very long time. Quter-encoded data can only be decoded by a quter. Unreliable.: If the Quality of the Data Tap is higher than the Tier of the installation, the Tap is safe. Otherwise make a Quality check when connecting the tap or asking it to report via the net.
Communication Spoof
A portable comms jammer/injector for listening to, rebroadcasting, or inserting short messages into unsecured civilian links and legacy networks. Includes a basic transmitter, protocol mimics, and a short-range directional antenna. Also provides you will quter-generated code protocols to secure your own communications. Active, Unreliable.: Effective against simple civilian and legacy channels; cannot break modern quter-level encryption without a separate quter or valid keys.
Use to intercept or inject brief transmissions in low-security channels. Active use has worse consequences and requires more rolls.