Aeon Trinity - Terra Verde - Psi Order Norça & Sudamérica Sourcebook

8/13/2019 Aeon Trinity - Terra Verde - Psi Order Nora & Sudamrica Sourcebook

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A Sourcebook for Trinity TM

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D O W N T O T H E B O N E

Down to the BoneHis wounds were deep enough that he could see organs. The sight of his insides was

nothing new to him. As a biokinetic, he was intimately familiar with the inner workings of hibody and could reshape himself with little effort. But these cuts they were a violation, forthey were not of his own design.

The man who called himself Heironymous Dieda leaned against the hard olive paneling othe station, legs splayed out across the corridor like the roots of a particularly crooked tree.His fiberweave vest had been cut to tatters and he used both arms to clutch his chest. Anyonepassing by might have mistaken Dieda for a derelict in the dim light. The only indicationotherwise were the nine bodies crumpled to the floor throughout the cramped corridor,linked by pools of commingled blood.

They simply hadnt adjusted fast enough. Dieda had moved too quickly for them to trackhim with their guns. Five of them were smart enough to draw their swords; the rest diedwhere they stood. Only one was truly able to break from the rigid mold of training and realize

what it meant to battle with someone whose entire body was a weapon, but Dieda was thebetter fighter.She had seen her death coming. Dieda had been able to tell from the way her body

moved. She knew she could not possibly avoid his next blow. She had seen it coming and hhad watched heradapt moving forward to let the bone spike pierce her heart so that shecould get inside his guard, driving her sword under his ribcage and up through his lung, its tipsurfacing near the upper part of his back.

Each jerked away, yanking their weapons from the other, and slumped back against op-posite walls. They slid to the deck without pretense, landing roughly, their feet nearly touch-ing.

He had locked eyes with her as they lay dying. He had glanced at the cooling corpseslittering the passage, peered down at his wound and then raised his eyes back to her. Duty.All for duty, he had mumbled, aware that she did not speak his language, but hoped shewould understand.

Giri, she had breathed, head nodding slightly, and died staring at her killer.Dieda had watched her expire. He knew well the finality of mind and body releasing their

hold on life; hed been trained years before to ignore it. The physical shell is craven and liesto the soul, his teachers said. Biokinesis constrains physical cowardice and turns you into acreature of pure will, where mind and body intersect as one.

But his wounds were deep, probably mortal. Even a creature of pure will couldnt denythat.

He didnt even know her name. He squinted in the dark, barely able to make out M.SAITO in yellow block print over her left breast. Heironymous, he mumbled.

Perhaps she was the wiser of the two, he found himself thinking. So simple to just let go,to release the corks of tissue hed used to plug exposed veins and arteries, to pour his life outonto the floor. Would the last sight he see be the body of his own killer, her eyes locked in thevacant stare of the dead?


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You are weak, cousin. Weaker than an infant child in your resolve, and now in strength. You are not Nora.

The voice came unbidden, as it always did. He never answered it. He knew it was hisown imagination telling him what his cousin would say, and that responding to it would betantamount to holding a conversation with himself.

You would release your life upon the decks of this nameless station? Willingly suicide to avoid the weight of responsibility? You are a wretch.

Dieda grimaced. His life would have been much easier if it wasnt for his cousin. Diedamade the mistake of thinking that his cousin would have ever considered the ties of bloodstronger than that of Family. Dieda was one of the first, and he stood by his cousins sidewhen asked to, pledging his life to another mans dreams. He left his own life behind sothat his cousins would have meaning. Dieda gave him a loyalty so strong that it wouldredefine the word itself.

What did Dieda get for his troubles? Only derision. He was a target, never quickenough or smart enough. He was humiliated before the others on many occasions, but

always bit back his shame and forced himself to work even harder. He would make himselfover in his cousins image, if thats what was necessary. Not for acceptance, but for blood.For loyalty.

Not enough, cousin. Never enough. You snapped like brittle bone, shattering within and tearing yourself apart. You ripped into your own insides with your lack of resolve. Now you sit across from someone weaker than you and pretend to admire her absence of drive.


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Dieda grew painfully aware of M. Saitos dead stare. I apologize, Dieda whis-pered. He can be abrasive.

You dont speak to voices in your head, yet you talk to corpses, cousin? Strange etiquette you hold with inanimate objects. Interesting how quick you are to forgive

one who moments ago wished to tear you from groin to throat.Shut up, he whispered.You hate most to hear the truth. You cloud your mind with eyes closed to what

surrounds you. You decide that which you wish to hear is the sound entering your ears. You are not Nora.

Shut up! he screamed. The nine dead men and women around him answered onlywith silence.

Coward.Dieda shivered with rage. Even now, the imagined voice of his cousin could drive

him to such a state of mind. It had always been like this, from the time they were childrenon the streets of Medelln to their final encounter in La Pluma Esmaralda. Thirteen years,now.

Right after the Quantakinetic Purge, he returned from India, triumphant. He hadmanaged a feat of misdirection that would have left Bue Li herself proud. Dieda foundhis cousin in the study, feeding his birds, and approached with grin stretched wide.

Have you heard? Have you seen the present that I have for you today?You brought me five. His cousin did not return his smile.Yes, five! No one is the wiser. The other orders believe them all killed. Think of it!I expect more of you. I give you a task, and you scrape success from the boot-heel

of failure. You have the audacity to gloat that you have brought me five? I expected ten.You grow complacent.

You cant beAlways whining, and never thanking me for what Ive given you. You do me a dis-

service, cousin.Dieda stared in disbelief.Thanks? You want me tothank you? Should I be honored that Ive hated every

waking moment of the last six years? Should I be thankful that Im held to a level ofexpectation that even a god could not match?

I expect perfection from my familyAnd Ive given it to you from the beginning. What have you given me?I gave you life, said his cousin.Dieda spat in his face. Thats my life, Giuseppe. Thats what you gave me, every

damned minute since I stepped out of your Chamber.Giuseppe was very still. His expression never wavered, and he didnt make a sound.The birds fluttered about restlessly in their cages.

Dieda was ready for death. He wanted his cousin to lash out and slit him from ear to


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ear, if only to force the loss of his legendary control. Dieda wanted him to break. Instead,Giuseppe laughed.

Thats what I wanted from you, cousin. Passion! A willingness to stare death in theface without regret. Its taken you six years to find it, and now your passion is to leave.

That is what you wish, to be as far away from me as you can. I can see it written in yoursoul.The smile vanished as he leaned close. His eyes burned into Diedas with a furious

intensity.Would you give back the life that I provided you? Would you sever the bonds of

Blood and Family? Would you excise the portion of my soul that lies within your own?Dieda knew how it worked. They stripped you of everything theyd provided, re-

turning you to the state you were in when you entered the Chamber naked and with-out possessions. They placed you in the heart of the jungle and left you to find your ownway out. If you survived, you could no longer return, and if you tried you would be killed.If you spoke of Blood or Family to those who understood neither, you would be killed.

Would you give all of this up, Heironymous? his cousin asked softly.Gladly.And Giuseppe spat in his face.

That was the last time he saw his cousin, Nora Proxy Giuseppe del Fuego.After reaching civilization, he had considered his options. The on Society was all

too happy to snatch him up and offer work, though they were greatly disappointed whenthey realized he couldnt reveal much of anything about the Nora. Still, they countedthemselves lucky to employ a talented biokinetic, and his work ethic amazed his superi-ors. He could easily have worked his way up in the organization had he felt any desire todo so.

Instead, he found another kind of family in Sam ORourkes Proteus team. Eleven years now since theyd first worked together, and Dieda still began every day with aword of thanks for his luck at falling into the company of such loyal, devoted people.They had confronted the kind of hardships that broke most teams, but their tenacity inthe face of misfortune seemed boundless. Even the Esperanza debacle couldnt keep themapart.

ORourke pushed hard for their assignments, and they pushed even harder to seeeach one through. They fought and bled to make things safe, to drive back the horrors sothat people could sleep soundly at night. They did it because it needed doing becauseit was the right thing to do. And when they did, Dieda felt as though he were once morepart of the Nora.

Hardly, cousin. Were you Nora, you would understand duty. Now you absolve it

in favor of personal weakness.He winced as he recalled the duty he currently forswore.


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First, the bad news. Communication is likely to be nil in there. Analysis indicates thatthey configured the shielding of their fusion reactor to play hell with electronic signalsinside the station. We suspect they have an internal network of wall-mounted communica-tion thats wired throughout the station, providing physical links between compartments.

Obviously we cant use this for ourselves.Sounds like your standard commo clusterfuck, muttered Chantal, the bald woman toDiedas left. The rest of them chuckled politely and pretended to ignore the look of mockdisapproval that ORourke shot her way.

The good news is that they cant either, if we shut it down from the inside. Kaffe andChantal, its up to you to disable all their internal comm traffic. My suspicion is that youllbe able to do so on your route to the factory. No communication means theyre workingblind. Once you get to the factory controls, set them to overload, grab any files you canwhile doing so and then get the hell out.

Giorgi and Rachel, youre with me. Were going for the clones and hostages. Its likelyto be herd work here, so try to keep them calm and moving at all times.

Heironymous, its your job to get to Control and take care of Takeshi. Hes going toclaim diplomatic immunity and try to distract you until he can call guards or get the drop on you. Dont let him. Well each rendezvous in the hangar for egress with our packages. Wehave an eight-minute window here; if youre not in the hangar, we leave you behind and youfend for yourself until the second force moves in.

Our followup is official and will require some kind of Nihonjin approval before theycan board, so you could be in there for quite awhile until the red tape is handled. Just sowere all clear, the hostages, the clones and Takeshi have to get out, in that order. Files areicing, but icings no good without cake.

What happens if things get hairy in there? Dieda asked.Officially? We are to call for backup and wait until it arrives before proceeding fur-

ther, said ORourke.Unofficially?ORourke paused before carefully proceeding. It is possible that one or all of us could

become separated from each other in the confusion. Should such a thing happen, it is alsopossible that every other person but you is compromised. Takeshimust be stopped. Thefactorymust be destroyed. The hostages and clonesmust be rescued. Anybody or any-thing gets in your way? Consider them an enemy of humanity and act accordingly.

But I start out separated from the rest of you, pointed out Dieda. Does that meanas soon as I split off, I operate under those parameters?

ORourke said Perhaps, but he nodded slowly. A long look passed between them.Understood, said Dieda.


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Misunderstood, you mean. You enjoy siesta while those you think worthy of the name Nora fight and die, believing you make the same sacrifice as they. Nothing has changed, cousin. You cannot move beyond your own pain when the lives of those you love are at stake. You would allow them to die as well?

Diedas scream was hollow and ragged.Get up.I cantYoure right. You have nothing left. You have exhausted your reserves. Were you

Nora, you would know that this is when you reach beyond yourself and succeed regardless. Only by dancing on the razor edge of life can you truly live. Get up.

Dieda sobbed tears of rage. I cant!You are old friends with failure. You invite it to your home, introduce it to your

wife and then dare to feign surprise when it cuckolds you, though all along thats exactly what you hoped for. You weave situations in which you fail so you can make excuses for your laziness. You wish to rest? Then die, and slumber forever in the hell

where all cowards descend.He choked out a cry of pain as his hands fumbled for purchase. His fingers found

leverage between panels, but his arms were too weak to lift himself.You think you left because of your own desires? You think I didnt arrange it? I

discarded you because you were chaff, nothing more than a worm-ridden apple,willing to let your friends die while you pondered your worthlessness on the floor of some godforsaken station.

Dieda roared and used the power of his anger to surge strength to arms and legs, jackknifing his torso repeatedly against the paneling, wobbling precariously until hestood on quivering legs.

Too slow. Youre no good to your friends if you move like a stumbling corpse.

He spat blood on the floor.Too wasteful. You needed that fluid.He started down the corridor, but paused and shuffled to close the eyes of M. Saito.

Rest, he whispered, in the heaven where all warriors ascend.Melodramatic.Respect for a worthy foe. Something youll never know, cousin.Stop talking to yourself and walk.Ill run, he spat, and limped his way past the scattered bodies.


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He didnt jog into Control so much as stagger, using exposed piping as railings to pullhimself along. Dark greens and blues poured their harsh glow into the darkness. Holo-graphic and flatscreen displays covered nearly all the walls and workstations within thecompartment. One holo showed a small green speck slowly dancing away from the large

blue blob of the station. A web of nearly imperceptible red lines lazily arced from the blueblob towards the green one. Dieda rested his palm on a nearby console, pushing buttonslabeled with incomprehensible symbols until the red lines disappeared.

You have disabled the defenses and saved your associates, spoke a voice in flawlessSpanish. A pity you shall never see them again. Turn, slowly.

Takeshi looked like any other autocrat Dieda had met: overconfident, visibly smugand surrounded by a palpable aura of self-importance. The man would have been theimage of high fashion were it not for the sword belt and empty holster strapped hastilyaround his paunch. He held the laser pistol in his hand as he would a decanter of wine. Ittook all of Diedas effort not to laugh.

Perhaps you wish to know why I did all this, intoned Takeshi, before I kill you, ofcourse.

No speeches, Dieda grunted, and closed all three meters in an instant, punchingTakeshi in the stomach. Diedas hand melted into a sharpened mass of bone that puncturedthe elegant Kostbaar suit as easily as a hot knife through flesh. He jammed it forward untilhe could feel Takeshis spine.

You thats my you have no right! screamed Takeshi, and shot him four timesin the chest. He felt cylinders of his lungs cook, alveoli popping like packing wrap, andreflexively adjusted the surrounding tissue to portion them off from the rest. He reworkedhis respiratory system in the span of a single gasping breath as he dove for the cover of abulkhead.

He heard the desperate scrabble of Takeshis boots on the deck, then a clattering anddull thud. The sound of indignant weeping reached him, along with Nihonjin mutteredbetween wheezes. He chanced a quick peek at Takeshi, who now lay on his back, swordpulled from its scabbard. The gun had fallen to the floor, far out of his reach. Dieda waited,and watched as Takeshi placed the tip of the blade at the yawning hole in his blood-spat-tered suit.

You cant defeat the virtuous, shouted Takeshi. I shall know peace, while you willknow only pain.

Dieda shook his head heavily. Your words are meaningless. You reenact a ritual youknow only from the vids, oblivious to meaning or duty. You think you can reach heaven bydefiling the memory of your ancestors? You are a hollow man, so transparent that even your god will never see you.

I am blameless, whimpered the fallen Nihonjin, and drove the blade along the pathDieda had begun.

Dieda fought through agony to stand. You are dead, he rasped, and no longer rel-evant.


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He located the communications console and broadcast a message to the ships heknew were waiting just beyond range of the stations weapons. When he spoke, it waswith Takeshis voice.

Unknown vessel, you are cleared to land. But you are too late! By the time you reach

me, you will find my cooling corpse. You cannot imprison a righteous man!Dieda slumped to the deck. Histrionic prick, he muttered, and fell away to black-ness.

Someone called his name. He struggled to escape the gravity well of exhaustion andsedatives.

ymous. Heironymous, can you hear me? Its ORourke.The voice cut through his vast personal darkness. He tried to answer but could not

find where his mind connected to his mouth.Easy there; dont move. You got the worst of it. Kaffe and Chantal are a little banged

up, but recovering. We did it, pal.You did it. We shut down the facility. No more clones;no more hostages. You saved a lot of lives

He could not feel his own body, but made an effort to smile. Then he once moreretreated deep within himself.

The room was brighter than hed expected it to be, all powder-white with muted,pale blue light. ORourke snored loudly on an off-white sofa beyond the foot of his bed.

Sam, he croaked. Sam, wake up.Dieda grabbed a small bottle of medication on the table next to him and weakly arced

it through the air, beaning his boss on the forehead. ORourkes bloodshot eyes flew openand he sat up abruptly.

Heironymous, Kaffe and ChantalI heard.Okay.ORourke rubbed his eyes and stared at Dieda.They say Takeshi killed himself.I imagine they do.Their eyes locked. One of the lights in the far corner of the room flickered slowly.

ORourke was the first to turn away. He was also the first to break the silence.What happened in there? I dont mean with Takeshi; Im talking about you. Ive seen

you go above and beyond before, but this timeDieda frowned and thought hard. I believe I came to a certain understanding with

myself.Ah, right. This is where you clamp down on your past and leave me hangiI am no longer Nora, he said thickly. But I think Im no longer trying to be. I think

I figured out how to be something else. Something different. I dont know.


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ORourke nodded slowly, then flashed a quick smile. Get some rest. You earnedit this time.

Dieda shook his head. Ill rest when Im dead. Toss me your comp and Ill starton the post-mission forms.

Now thats just gratuitous. No way Im going to let you show me up in thearena of needless busywork. You stay right there while I go get something to drink,and Ill prove to you that Im better at filling out hundreds of meaningless formsthan youll ever be. You goddamn peacock.

Dieda allowed himself a slight smile as ORourke left the room. He leaned backand stared at the blank expanse of ceiling.

I have passion, he whispered. I have family. I have duty and I have honor. Ihave loyalty to a cause I believe in. I need nothing else.

This time, the voice did not respond.


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TERRA VERDE

Credits

CreditsWriters:Writers:Writers:Writers:Writers: Deirdre Brooks (Biokinesis, Aberrants), Zach Bush (Nora), and Alejandro Melchor(Sudamrica, Biotechnology)

Developer:Developer:Developer:Developer:Developer: Bruce BaughEditor:Editor:Editor:Editor:Editor: Jasmine MilbergerVice President in charge of Production:Vice President in charge of Production:Vice President in charge of Production:Vice President in charge of Production:Vice President in charge of Production: Richard ThomasArt Director:Art Director:Art Director:Art Director:Art Director: Richard ThomasCover Art:Cover Art:Cover Art:Cover Art:Cover Art: BROMFront & Back Cover Design:Front & Back Cover Design:Front & Back Cover Design:Front & Back Cover Design:Front & Back Cover Design: Ron ThompsonLayout and typesetting:Layout and typesetting:Layout and typesetting:Layout and typesetting:Layout and typesetting: Ron ThompsonArtists:Artists:Artists:Artists:Artists: Jeff Holt, Christopher Shy and Melissa Uran

Special ThanksTo Andrew Bates, who (with his crew) gave us a wonderful legacy. If we can pass along as

much fun as weve inherited, well be doing well.

2001 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permission ofthe publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews. White Wolf, Vampire the Masquerade,Vampire the Dark Ages, Mage the Ascension and World of Darkness are registered trademarks of White WolfPublishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming,Werewolf the Wild West, Trinity, Hidden Agendas, Trinity Technology Manual, Luna Rising, America Offline,Shattered Europe, Stellar Frontier, Darkness Revealed, Descent into Darkness, Passage Through Shadow, As-cent into Light, Trinity Field Report, Extrasolar Colonies, Alien Races, Alien Encounter, Invasion, Deception andTrinity Universe are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, placesand text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarkor copyright concerned.

This book uses science fiction for settings, characters and themes. All science fiction, geopolitical scenariosand psi-related elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.

Check out White Wolf online athttp://www.white-wolf.com; alt.games.whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storytellerPRINTED IN USA.


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TERRA VERDE

Introduction

Introduction

12 Introduction

TERRA VERDE

Welcome tothe GreenContinent

In a world that still remembers the hor-rors of the Aberrant War, its refreshing toknow that some of the scars have healed.Terra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra Verde reveals a region where the fu-ture is now, and itworks .

BiokineticsLoyalty to family. Devotion to duty. Style

and substance, working hand-in-hand. Thesekeys unlock the biokinetic order, revealingstaunch defenders of humanity striving to ex-ist as quiet paragons amidst the chaos of the22nd century.

The Nora first appeared in Sudamricain 2106, bearing the name of an organizationinstrumental to the legitimization of the drugtrade decades earlier. To the rest of the world,

they were common criminals and a securitynightmare. To Sudamrica, they were oncemore a force for great change.

Today the Nora fight a secret waragainst those who would restrict humanitysprogress. Their enemies include Aberrants,aliens and organizations that stand in the pathof progress, be they corporation, secret so-ciety or government. They fight for results,not recognition, and they do so under the firmgaze of thePai de Nora , Giuseppe del Fuego.They fight to the death for their extended

human family.Sudamrica

Family is just as important to the coun-tries that comprise Sudamrica. The Aber-

rant War provided a common enemy that crossed social,ethnic and spiritual boundaries. Mutual defense led tomutual support and eventually to community. Such una-nimity allowed for advances undreamed of by anyone,least of the Sudamericans.

Sudamerican progress would have been impossiblewithout a unique convergence of old ways and newprogress. Sudamerican culture encompasses devout be-lievers in any (or several) of its major religions along withskeptics and unbelievers, just as it has room for staunchtraditionalists and radical innovators alike. Native peopleslive among the descendants of immigrants and modernrefugees, neither lords nor victims. The benefits of thissynthesis flow to the world, most particularly in medicaland biotechnological advances.

How to Use This BookTerra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra VerdeTerra Verde is arranged into the following sections:Chapter One: The Nova Fra de NaionalesChapter One: The Nova Fra de NaionalesChapter One: The Nova Fra de NaionalesChapter One: The Nova Fra de NaionalesChapter One: The Nova Fra de Naionales exposes

the secretive Nora. Youll learn the importance of fam-ily, loyalty and duty. Youll also understand why they keepsuch a low profile about their plans and interests.

Chapter Two: Biokinesis and BiotechnologyChapter Two: Biokinesis and BiotechnologyChapter Two: Biokinesis and BiotechnologyChapter Two: Biokinesis and BiotechnologyChapter Two: Biokinesis and Biotechnology delvesinto the secrets of this versatile Aptitude, revealing al-ternate techniques and new uses for the original effects.Following that is an in-depth look at biotechnology, in-cluding methods to create your own biotech devices.

Chapter Three: SudamricaChapter Three: SudamricaChapter Three: SudamricaChapter Three: SudamricaChapter Three: Sudamrica explores the nations thatcomprise the green earth and the cultures that call it

home. Discover the hard path that a continent had totravel, and the bright future they found along the way.Chapter Four: RoleplayingChapter Four: RoleplayingChapter Four: RoleplayingChapter Four: RoleplayingChapter Four: Roleplaying takes a look at just how

to play a character who deals daily in subterfuge and in-trigue, as well as suggestions on how to run a series based


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TERRA VERDE

Introduction

in Sudamrica. Youll also meet the handful of Aberrantssmart and lucky enough to elude the Nora.

Chapter Five: Dramatis PersonaeChapter Five: Dramatis PersonaeChapter Five: Dramatis PersonaeChapter Five: Dramatis PersonaeChapter Five: Dramatis Personae divulges majorplayers and people of note in the region. Ascertain the

Pai de Noras long-term plans to ensure humanitys sur-vival. This chapter concludes with seven examples ofNoran and Sudamerican characters ready for play.

Appendix: Historical DataAppendix: Historical DataAppendix: Historical DataAppendix: Historical DataAppendix: Historical Data wraps things up with atimeline of the key events that shaped a nation and anorder.

A Note from the New DeveloperThe curtain opens to reveal a bearded man typing

away at a computer, surrounded by stacks of manu-scripts and books; a cat occasionally jumps up to demand a little petting before going off for another nap. The man notices the audience, and turns to say

Greetings, Gentle Readers. At long last, were bring-ing you newTrinityTrinityTrinityTrinityTrinity books. All of us involved in the efforthope you like the results.

There are always questions when a line changeshands. Am I going to throw out your favorite part of the

game? Will there be radical changes? Is this all going toturn into something you hate?

Ive been involved in Trinity from its early days, andwrote parts of quite a few books under Andrew Bates

supervision. Im here now because I likeTrinityTrinityTrinityTrinityTrinity. I enjoyedworking with Andrew and the rest of the crew, and infuture volumes youll find familiar names back for moreMy idea of a good run for the game at this point is, well,more of the same. I chat pretty regularly with Andrew, asweve done over the years, and while no two people evershare precisely the same goals or priorities, I plan noshocking deviations from the course the lines followedso far.

There are surprises ahead, of course, but many ofthem are surprises we planned long ago and others will(we hope) build on the familiar spirit. The classic trinity Hope, Sacrifice, Unity remains in effect.

I hope youll let us know what you think of this bookWe want it to be fun, provocative and useful for as manypeople as possible.

Regards,Bruce Baugh


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TERRA VERDE

Chapter One

Psi Order N

ora

14 Chapter One

TERRA VERDE

The Nova Forade Nacionales(Nora)Profile

For such a small organization, Psi OrderNora inspires fear in a great many people. Thefear of being replaced has haunted peoplethroughout the ages. Human history is filled withtales of doppelgngers and shape-shifters whomurder their doubles and assume their place insociety. Unsurprisingly, modern stories usually

cast a biokinetic as the villain in novels or vidprograms. Ever since the Nora revealed them-selves to the world in 2106, people at all levelsof society have feared that friends, family, neigh-bors, lovers, bosses, employees, government of-ficials and even religious leaders are not who theyseem to be.

The Noras mere existence has spawned thedevelopment of psionic detection measures andcountless legislations directed at a redefinitionof identity. Rather than allay such fears, Noranscapitalize upon them. Exploiting others psycho-

logical weaknesses along with their own talents,they have brokered lasting connections in intel-ligence communities and black marketssystemwide. They bankroll their order by smug-gling leisure pharmaceuticals throughout colo-nized space. The order is privately and some-times publicly accused of political assassination,subversion, sedition, espionage, corporate espio-nage, terrorism, drug trafficking, extortion, mur-der, racketeering and prostitution.

It is fortunate for an order with so few pow-erful friends elsewhere, then, that the people of

Sudamrica love the biokinetics. The averagecitizen doesnt doubt for a minute thatlos magicos are vitally necessary in the Trinityworld. Too many Sudamericans know of some-body who has benefited from the Nora and itswork to write the biokinetics off as a nefariousconspiracy. That they work for the people is self-

evident, from their charity and relief organizations totheir work in the destruction of Aberrants. Their closeconnection to the people of Sudamrica allows themto work with limited protection from Sudamerican

governments.Peeling Off the SkinThe cultivated Nora mystique allows the bio-

kinetics access to all kinds of data, people and places.The Nora simply dont have the resources to be ev-erywhere at once. They feign a much larger graspthrough elaborate inveiglements and careful insinua-tions. Field teams create decoy operations designedto be leaked, to spread misinformation about Noracapabilities and goals and to provide cover for othermissions of genuine importance. At the center of thisintricate labyrinth of misdirection is Proxy Giuseppedel Fuego. He directs the tangled skeins of convolu-tion with a steady hand and a vision for the future ofhumanity.

The order expects resourcefulness and ingenu-ity, and does not give special recognition to memberswho are, as far as the orders leaders are concerned,simply doing what they should. Nora who have beenaround since the beginning remember when the or-der managed with sub-standard equipment and hadthe cunning needed to overcome their financial limi-tations. This attitude carries through to the present:Nora in the field are expected to acquire and bar-gain for what they need by using the orders vast net-work of contacts, trading goods for favors to be col-lected at a later time and milking the local distributionchains. They learn to use what is at hand and to use iteffectively, with all external tools complementing andsupporting their innate talents rather than substitut-ing for intelligence, persistence or competence.

Some observers compare the order to a cult or acrime family. Although there are definitely some pointsof similarity, both comparisons miss the point. Pai deNoras influence does not translate to sheer adora-tion within his order. He certainly commands respectfrom his subordinates, but he also severely discour-ages any sort of fanatical adulation. Nora advanceto the highest ranks in part by arguing successfullywith him and by pointing out ways to improve uponhis plans. Likewise, he refuses to maintain his posi-tion through structured fear. He wants nobody in hisorder to feel as though they are doing what they do


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TERRA VERDE

The Nova For a de Nacionales

because they can never leave. He would prefers his fol-lowers to feel as though they belong to something larger,performing their tasks to benefit their order, their planetand the human race. The precautions he must take to pre-

vent the orders secrets from escaping are certainly harsh,but no Nora joins the order without understanding theconsequences.

Secrets of Nora SuccessThe Nora certainly dont discourage the belief that

they are everywhere, but this alone isnt responsible fortheir broad authority. Their extensive influence through-out the ranks of humanity draws on a few key points:

Loyalty, Family, Duty.Loyalty, Family, Duty.Loyalty, Family, Duty.Loyalty, Family, Duty.Loyalty, Family, Duty. All Nora, from neutral dockworker to top-level biokinetic infiltrator of rival govern-ments, feel a near-unswerving loyalty to the order.Though the degree of such obviously varies between eachperson, the average Nora would die for the family withlittle question. The family takes care of its own, provid-ing and taking away as necessary. Superiors give the mem-bers they supervise broad leeway to accomplish theirtasks, but expect admirable performance under all cir-cumstances. Nora who fall short can expect fair but harshdiscipline. The family, after all, knows whats best, andwhats best is the complete discharge of obligations. Ac-cording to the Pai, all Nora have the sacrosanct duty torise above and beyond human frailty, demonstrating byexample how humanity can evolve both socially and physi-cally.

Public Image.Public Image.Public Image.Public Image.Public Image. Theres a popular stereotype of themysterious stranger who draws the attention and love ofothers, even though the relationships all end in sorrowsooner or later. Nora enjoy playing that part with theworld at large. Most people suspect that the biokineticorders methods are ethically shaky at best, and Joe Ho-logram is pretty sure that the Nora are up to some-thing. Even people who identify themselves as fans andsupporters admit that the Nora are sneaky and pre-sume they use extra-legal means to accomplish their goals.The Nora do nothing to counteract this perception in fact, they welcome it. The occasional slip-up thatreaches the public consciousness meets with wry accep-tance rather than shock, and Nora public relations ex-perts make sure to spin the orders mistakes with savvyand charm.

Paranoia.Paranoia.Paranoia.Paranoia.Paranoia. For the Nora, the question isntif hu-manity will come under attack, butwhen andby whom .They operate as though hostile forces will appear at any

given moment and launch a full-scale assault. This senseof urgency fuels the urge to exceed, driving Nora to thegreatest possible heights of success in preparation forwhat they see as the inevitable calamities to come. Plan-

ners include myriad contingency and fall-back assump-tions, wrapping discrete tasks in layers of options so thatno readily imaginable setback can keep agents from theirgoals. The Nora aim to know precisely what they couldsalvage under as many sorts of catastrophic conditionsas possible.

Longevity.Longevity.Longevity.Longevity.Longevity. Proxy del Fuego predicts that onlyNora and ISRA have a chance of surviving to the dawnof the 23rd millennium, and that Nora will be the soleorder to preserve its original purpose. He has taken greatpains to ensure that the order remains steadfast in itsmission and loyalties, laying down long-term plans for thepossibility of his own death and preparing the order toavoid general purges (and survive one if it happens). Heworries that his core goals for the order will become dis-torted over time, and wants to ensure that those goalsare not lost sight of, regardless of whatever may happenin the coming years and centuries.

Competitive Passion.Competitive Passion.Competitive Passion.Competitive Passion.Competitive Passion. The Nora sleep at nightknowing that theyve done their very best that day, andthat theyll strive to do even better tomorrow. The onlypeople they need to please are themselves and the Pai;everyone elses standards are insufficient. The sense offraternal competition inherent to the order generallykeeps most conflicts at least marginally friendly and salveshard feelings. The order values success, but recognizesthat the most important thing is to make full use of theopportunities one has hard, intelligent work earnsNora as much or more status than success through dumbluck or careless, slipshod efforts. The order judges ex-cellence or absence thereof based on what an individualcan do, so that a Nora of moderate capacity with greatdrive may win recognition along with more talented butnot necessarily more ambitious or persistent rivals.

Paving the Road to HellThe Nora spend much of their time in the field, be-

yond Sudamrica, acquiring specialized information. Theyare not, however, an intelligence agency in any usual sense.They dont work to benefit a specific country, though theirdomestic operations do often strengthen Sudamerican na-tions. Their fundamental duty, as they see it, is to serve all ofhumanity. Since most of humanity doesnt understand theissues and wouldnt necessarily agree with the Pais deci-


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sions even if all the secret struggles were made public, Noraserves humanity in part by serving the orders own inter-ests. They aim to keep themselves in a position to help hu-manity survive and advance.

Del Fuego knows all too clearly how well-meaningorganizations can slowly pervert their own focus andevolve into self-perpetuating bureaucracies primarilyconcerned with expanding their own influence. He de-signed his order with safeguards to prevent or at leastforestall its evolution into something like the on Trin-ity, fallen from noble concerns into pure power-seeking.While he remains at the helm, Noras primary focus willremain the defense of humanity.

Methods and

PracticesTrainingBeing Nora is a matter of ones whole life, not just

specific skills. The order may call upon new members toperform whatever task the cause requires, and attitudeand community come before details. Before entering thePrometheus tank, new recruits spend time living with vari-ous families and working with various syndicates to seewhere their talents serve best at the moment. However,their instructors make it clear (or should) that what worksnow may not work in the years to come.

Learn your family, learn your order, learn your ca-pabilities is one of the standard mottos for new Nora.A recruit who fails to take the initiative in seeking outnew opportunities is by definition unworthy. So is onewho starts exploring and then stops as soon as he findssomething that seems just right. Comfort is a trap isanother standard slogan: Nora are expected to keepmoving, to challenge their own assumptions.

The peculiar Nora blend of initiative and submissionto authority takes most recruits some time to master. (In-deed, many long-time members sometimes have problemswith it.) Most families try to keep their new members a littleuncertain and off-balance, sometimes handing out long listsof detailed instructions, sometimes watching silently to seewhat recruits do for themselves. Once the recruit is settledwithin a family, syndicate affiliation goes more straightfor-wardly. Syndicates are for work, not for the whole of life,and syndicate instructors tend to be more straightforwardin their instructional methods.

Nora have little use for classrooms, and maintainfew dedicated schools. Learning happens wherever in-structors and students are: at work, while traveling, atparties. Nor do Nora think that instruction is the duty

of only a few chosen members, even though it is thepri-mary task of relatively few individuals. Almost all Norathink they have something important to tell others, andnew recruits make as good an audience as any.

New neutral members of the order slide smoothlyfrom this process of mutual investigation into lasting as-signments. They spend a few months on one assignment,a few months at another, until mentors, administratorsand bosses agree that the new members are making gooduse of their respective talents. Family affiliation comesearly, with syndicate affiliation following.

Latent psions, of course, undergo the additional stepof triggering. This happens on an individual basis, withone mentor and one student, wherever possible. Thementor comes from the new psions syndicate, and showsthe student how to apply the aptitudes to the tasks athand. This is generally a very informal process. The onlysure sign of failure is failure itself; as long as the studentis still standing, learning continues.

Family AffairThere are between thirty and fifty

families active within Nora at any giventime. Each bears the name of one of thebiokinetic veterans of the early years.Storytellers and players should work to-gether to create the families that theirseries requires. Determine the last nameof the original Nora in question, suchas such as Calado, Torres, or Vargas).Choose a home territory for the family almost always in Sudamrica and usu-ally in Colombia or a neighboring coun-try. Finally, choose an area of family spe-cialization. This is a combination of geo-graphical area (the districts around thehome territory) and field of knowledgeand practice (biotech, the drug trade, re-ligion, etc.).

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Leaving the NoraProcedures for leaving the Nora are short and

to the point. Word of a Norans disaffection makesits way up the chain of command to del Fuego. Hemeets personally with the unhappy individual and triesto work out the difficulties. This is particularly truewith psions, whom there are never enough of and whoplay a central role in all of del Fuegos plans. Almostanything can come into play in the effort to keep apsion from leaving, and valuable neutrals get almostfavored treatment. Transfers, assigned spheres of in-fluence, renewed training periods, time off, financialand other inducementsdel Fuego is an expert at find-ing out what people want and figuring out how to giveit to them within the framework of continued alle-giance to the order.

If all else fails, then comes the ritual of separa-tion. The departing individual is stripped of everyphysical object associated with her time in the order,from housing to gifts and tokens of esteem. Her cur-rent dwelling is, depending on its location, burned tothe ground, torn down or sealed up and left abandoned.The individual herself is taken by her former familymembers to a random location in the jungle and leftthere. If she can make her way out, her new life be-gins. If not, well, the great cause has its costs.

Areas of FocusBeyond the family structure that takes on such great

importance within the biokinetic order, Nora divides itsnumbers amongst five large groups and a handful of muchsmaller ones. These groups are collectively known assindicatos or syndicates. Full members refer to them-selves syndics, although the order uses the termsagents or specialists when speaking to the public.

Whereas the families represent areas of local in-fluence and dynastic identity within the order, the syn-dicates correspond to a Norans professional inter-ests. Few families devote all their members to a spe-cific syndicate; most families try to maintain a roughlyeven spread amongst them. Switching syndicates ismuch easier than leaving one family for another. Aslong as the Nora discharges all obligations to her syn-dicate, she can join another upon approval by the headher family. This process usually lasts two weeks tothree months, depending on which syndicate the Noradesires to leave.

Cumprimentos!Welcome to Nora. I enjoyed ourrecent chat. I recognize that you do not

yet speak Spanish or Portuguese, andwish to provide you with a descriptionof some terms you will hear more of-ten then others. The following are hon-orifics:PaiFather. You may refer to me asPai de Nora, if you wish.TioUncle. We refer to those in theupper echelons of Nora as Tio.

Tios deserve great respect.IrmoBrother. Male Nora whohave yet to distinguish themselves arecalled Irmo.IrmSister. Used similarly toIrmo, but with female Nora.PrimoCousin. Refer to Norainvolved with criminal activities asprimo.TraidorTraitor. Those who betrayNora. The biokinetic order hunts

down and kills all traidors.LiberdadeAfter you grow morefamiliar with Nora, you are allowedto leave your mentors family andtest your freedom, so to speak.Your goal is to discover to whichfamily you truly belong, but the roadis your own to choose. I forgive muchof a Noras actions during aliberdade, so long as they do notprove to be traidors.

NomearRoughly, your nominationreplace your surname with that of your family. A great honor.

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Although the syndicates maintain a chief of daily op-erations, Pai de Nora ultimately directs each one. How-ever, he usually limits his involvement to guiding changesin the overall direction that the syndicates take rather

than the micromanagement of projects and personnelthroughout the order. At the lower levels, the order en-trusts each syndic with a great deal of personal respon-sibility. The syndicates reward personal initiative and hardwork, holding those in the lowest ranks to the same levelas those in charge.

Guerreros do BeroHumanitys DefendersHumanitys DefendersHumanitys DefendersHumanitys DefendersHumanitys Defenders

Through a combination of masterful public relationscoups, prestigious assignments and the careful manipu-lation of media resources, the biokinetic order ensuresthat when Joe Hologram thinks of the Nora, theGuerreros do Bero come to mind. When the Nora re-vealed themselves as a psi order in 2106, the first bioki-netics seen by the world were the Guerreros. Del Fuegopledged that these Warriors of the Cradle existed todefend humanity from the terrors that sought to sow fearand destruction. He vowed the Nora would ridSudamrica of Aberrant infestation within five years. Asproof, the order publicly unveiled the bodies of tenAberrants the Nora had already detected and slain sincetheir formation in 2103. The following weeks saw fivemore Aberrants killed publicly by Nora operatives, so-lidifying the identity and purpose of the order and itsmembers in the minds of people world-wide.

Since that time, del Fuego has made few changes tothe Guerreros do Bero. They operate under much thesame principles, goals and conditions as they did in 2106.Most other Nora think of the Guerreros as the back-bone of the biokinetic order, providing a trunk from whichthe other syndicates branch out. Similarly, most Guerrerosconsider the other syndicates responsible for their ownexistence that without the contributions of the oth-ers, they could not accomplish what they do. This mutualrespect, though not always as healthy as del Fuego wouldhope, helps prevent overly unhealthy rivalries betweenthe syndicates. I refuse to select a favorite child, heonce told two quarrelling shifters, so do refrain from jockeying for my limited attention.

Theres a joke within the Nora that while the restof the order devotes itself to the defense of humanitysinterests, only the Guerreros do Bero do it with style.

One tale circulating amongst the other syndicates involvesa Guerrero arriving at a social function with a partner oneach arm, a thousand-yuan cigar clenched in her teethand the eyes of everyone in the room gazing upon her

immaculate dress, only to uncover an Aberrant cultist,slit his throat and go to church the next morning, con-science clean. Though certainly there exists a grain oftruth in this stereotype, the order can count on Guerrerosto get things done and look fantastic while doing so.

The syndicate stresses self-reliance beyond anythingelse, but discourages social isolation. Each Guerrero mustwork well with a team, giving and taking direction effec-tively, yet should also know how to operate if separatedfrom the rest. In contrast to the other syndicates, allGuerreros answer directly to Proxy del Fuego. Within theorder, theyre known as a thousand individuals. In delFuegos absence, Guerreros work with handlers in ARPO,the asset-management syndicate.

With the Pais approval, Guerreros can form smallgroups known as cadres on a longer-term basis toachieve some specific goal. These cadres generally con-sist of anywhere between two and six syndics, thoughlarger groups (such as Los Feroces) do exist. By design,cadres rarely contain syndics from a single family.

The Pai does not take cadres lightly. If a singleGuerrero is held to high standards by the Pai, a group ofthem must continually prove their worth through deedand action. If he suspects that the cadre as a whole pro-duces less a benefit than each Guerrero would individu-ally, he doesnt hesitate to disassemble it and reassignthe syndics to more appropriate duties. Rarely does thisindicate del Fuegos displeasure with the Guerreros. Onthe contrary, such displays of initiative impress Pai deNora. However, with such limited numbers, the proxycant afford to squander resources. The longest-lastingcadres prove their necessity and efficacy to del Fuegobeyond any shadow of his doubt.

As a rule of thumb, Guerrero Guerreros do Beroassignments involve acts or deeds that will sooner or laterbecome public knowledge. The responsibilities vary, butalmost always consist of high profile tasks. These in-clude undercover or infiltration operations in which theultimate goal is the exposure of nefarious interests to thepublic at large. The most common targets are Aberrantcults, corporations producing banned weapons of massdestruction, hideously corrupt local officials whom theNora cant control through other means, research labs


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performing illegal experimentation and any group or per-son the Nora considers an enemy of humanity.

A handful of cadres consist entirely of Aberrant hunt-ers devoted to large regions of planets or colonized space.

They move around frequently and work with local gov-ernments to uncover Aberrant threats, often attemptingcapture and containment before killing them. Though cer-tainly dedicated to their task, del Fuego frowns uponsyndics who take it to the extreme of fanaticism.

Additionally, the few Nora loaned out to organiza-tions such as the Trinity, the UN World Court, govern-ments friendly to the Nora and other psi orders almostalways belong to this syndicate. The reasoning for this iseminently practical. This syndicate specifically trainsGuerreros to know what they can and cannot discuss withpeople outside of the Nora, as well as the face of theorder they should present to external organizations. TheGuerreros do Bero expect the syndic to provide detailedreports of her experiences, but rarely do they task herwith the explicit gathering of intelligence. They leave suchduties to Sol do Sangramento, the Nora syndicate thatdeals heavily with espionage.Behind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the Mask

Fully half of the orders biokinetics belong to theGuerreros, with another 500 neut syndics complement-ing the ranks. Not all Nora are suited for this syndicate.The Guerreros do Bero only allow into their ranks thosewho prove themselves capable of handling diverse situa-tions, cooperating with a variety of people and produc-ing outstanding results. The order sends the Guerreroswhen they want others to know of the orders involve-ment, whether against governments, corporations, or-ganizations, societies or individual people. They exist tocall attention to themselves, distracting others from theorders true interests elsewhere. The greatest implementsthat the Nora can use for misdirection are the Guerrerosdo Bero.

Privately, del Fuego maintains that the Guerrerosfunction as the public face of the order. He calls themwarrior diplomats, for they are the syndics most rep-resentative of the order. In practice, the proxys increasedscrutiny serves as a double-edged sword. The Pai cer-tainly anticipates outstanding levels of performance, con-duct and personal excellence from each Guerrero, butsyndics who surpass his grand expectations catch his eyeand can advance rapidly within the order. The Pai toler-ates failure only once, however and grudgingly at that.

Guerreros who repeatedly overstep bounds soon findthemselves removed from the syndicate and placed inmuch less glamorous positions, where they can cause littleharm. Ambition is essential, but so are results.

Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron: Pl (the 20th century soccer player, not thevolcano goddess)Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance: We stand as the first and last line of de-

fense against Aberrants, hostile aliens and the dregs ofhumanity. Should we fall, everything worth fighting fordies with us. We shall never fall.

Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group: Athletics, Intrusion, Melee, MartialArts, Savvy, Stealth

Valientes Sabuesos do DeusDisaster ReliefDisaster ReliefDisaster ReliefDisaster ReliefDisaster Relief

For all of its technological advances and social de-velopments, Sudamrica remains a dangerous place. For-est fires, blizzards, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanesare altogether too common. Severe water shortagescaused by droughts can dry out entire regions, whilefloods and mudslides are the bane of the rainy seasons.This only accounts for natural disasters, to say nothingof manmade accidents. Passenger ship crashes, wars,cracked hulls in underwater cities, terrorist attacks, thecollapse of shoddily constructed buildings, reactor acci-dents and massacres by political groups are but a few ofthe tragedies humanity inflicts upon itself. In the face ofall this calamity, Sudamrica looks to the Valiant Houndsof God to make things better.

Originally conceived as a temporary alternative tothe then-defunct Red Cross, Nora leadership eventu-ally incorporated Valientes Sabuesos do Deus as a fullsyndicate. Footage from 2105, prior to the psi ordersrevelation to the world, distinctly identifies Proxy delFuego and over a dozen of the first biokinetics helpingcitizens of the Mayan League recover from a particularlybrutal earthquake. Investigations into the incident andinterviews with survivors tell of a mysterious group thatarrived with abundant supplies and worked tirelesslythrough the week, assisting in the recovery of thosetrapped under the rubble, treating the wounded and con-structing temporary shelters for the many displaced.

Though cynics believe it a calculated move to solidifythe orders reputation, the Nora involved with the reliefeffort maintain that they were training in the area andbrought what resources they could to bear when the de-struction became evident. Proxy del Fuego refuses to pro-vide further comment on the incident, but went on record


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as saying it fell to us to bear the weight and we did sowithout question.

These words do a fair job of describing the history

and modern-day goals of the Sabuesos. They take greatpride in the efficacy of their humanitarian efforts andenjoy a well-earned reputation for their acts of valianceand bravery. The Hounds discovered some unique appli-cations of biokinesis, as even basic shifter techniquespermit Sabuesos to locate people. Adaptation lets syndicswaltz through areas that would prove fatal to other res-cue workers. (Sometimes they even waltz literally: theSabuesos dowhatever it takes to calm panicked victimsand get them cooperating.) Tailored bio-apps coupledwith Psychomorphing can turn a shifter into a walkingfire extinguisher. Creative uses of Transmogrify can al-

low Nora to slip through the cracks, getting to survi-vors trapped under rubble.The significant budget the Sabuesos enjoy provides

vast funding for relief operations and can even assist inrebuilding efforts. Often the biokinetic order funds re-construction in return for percentage cuts of local indus-tries, usually in perpetuity. Larger communities rarely

need the assistance, but smaller towns frequently signover these rights in return for immediate aid. TheSabuesos take a piece of this percentage and then pour

the remainder back into the community to sponsor localdevelopments. Many of these Nora towns aresprinkled throughout Sudamrica, and few are unhappywith the changes.

Antonia Siddiqi is functionally in charge of the day-to-day operations of the Hounds. Many Nora know ofher vocal tirades about the responsibilities of this syndi-cate, through either story or personal experience. Antoniais also notorious throughout the biokinetic order for hermany toe-to-toe arguments with Proxy del Fuego overadequate distribution of supplies and personnel to theSabuesos. Many tios joke that the Pai keeps Antonia

around to remind him how to take his job so seriously. DelFuego himself refers to her on many occasions as Norasconscience, though never unkindly.

Every disaster is unique. Consequently, Nora trainsSabuesos to prepare for a variety of situations. The or-der provides general overviews of a variety of disasterscenarios, with the syndic typically specializing in deal-

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ing with at least three different kinds. Syndics often cross-train as apprentices to other Sabuesos in order to honetheir skills. Nearly 200 syndics devote their time to Search& Rescue operations throughout Sudamrica, tracking

down people lost in the mountains or rain forests. Mostlearn how to function near groups hostile to their pres-ence, or to the populace they attempt to assist. In thesesituations, del Fuego authorizes the Sabuesos to requestsupport from other syndicates, if he deems the situationsalvageable. Few knowingly direct attacks against theHounds, for history shows that people who incur the wrathof the Nora tend to wind up dead or missing in shortorder.Behind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the Mask

The Valientes Sabuesos do Deus include a full 2,000syndics, of whom approximately 100 are biokinetics. Be-cause the Sabuesos have very few truly confidential as-pects, this syndicate employs a large number of peoplewho may not be deemed eligible for all the orders se-crets, including medics, trackers, pilots, psychiatrists,construction workers and general relief workers. Still, withsuch a limited number of psions and expert support per-sonnel, Siddiqi spreads the Sabuesos thinly to achievemore. Each syndic and his staff counts on volunteers fromthe local region to assist with relief efforts. Under cer-tain severe circumstances, Sabuesos can temporarily con-script unassigned Nora from other syndicates to aid inaccomplishing specific tasks.

On a practical level, assisting the relief or rescue ofaverage people provides a great amount of positive pressfor the Nora. Building popular support amongst the lo-cals provides excellent inroads for future operations inthe area, from obtaining cultural intelligence to acquiringinformants and locating safe-houses where fleeing Noracan lie low. Nevertheless, the tenacity of the Sabuesosand the amount of goodwill they provide speaks for it-self. Even Sudamerican governments who dont care forthe biokinetic order turn blind eyes to Sabueso involve-ment in times of trouble.

Administrations outside of Sudamrica rarely sharethis view, for many fear the implications of organizedNora operations within their territories. This does notprevent the Sabuesos from offering assistance where theycan, with or without the approval of foreign governments.Such actions can occasionally place Sabuesos in danger-ous positions, and often provide cause for syndics in thediplomatic division of ARPO to earn their pay.

Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron: St. Francis of AssisiAllegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance: The world will always be a violent place

and in the aftermath of violence there will always be pain.We must salve this pain, returning those affected to where

they were before the violence. We cannot change the na-ture of the world, but we can refuse to take misery as thelast truth of any situation.

Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group: Awareness, Drive or Pilot, Investiga-tion, Medicine, Rapport, Survival

Msicos da VerdadeSoul of the OrderSoul of the OrderSoul of the OrderSoul of the OrderSoul of the Order

The Msicos da Verdade, or Musicians of Truth,take responsibility for Noras technological advance-ment. They date back to the Noras existence as a drugcartel in the latter half of the 21st century, when theywere a network of ambitious underground labs devotedto pharmaceutical innovation. The infrastructure ofloosely organized research groups remained as the yearspassed, and when del Fuego turned the Nora into a psiorder, he simply expanded the scope of the syndicatesdevelopment interests.

Most Nora who dont work closely with the Msicosthink of this syndicate as akin to a privatemetacorporation, or a monolithic Research & Develop-ment arm of the order. This certainly describes certainaspects of the syndicate, but Msicos da Verdade prima-rily exists as a loose collection of research projects,thought experiments and brain trusts. Together, they de-velop theories, methods and products in answer toNoras needs. Msicos facilities run the gamut from full-blown research complexes to informal gatherings ofsyndics working in someones home. Only an abiding con-cern for security unites them all.

Daniel Keos assists del Fuego in providing directionfor the Msicos da Verdade. Keos spends a fair amountof time performing his duties as the Director of Opera-tions at BioSystems, but devotes the rest to determiningthe future of Noras developing technologies. Del Fuegoworks well with Keos and their interests complement eachother. Nevertheless, Keos distance from most otherNora leads subordinates to question his abilities. Somesyndics whisper that Keos displays the onset of psionicdysfunction, but not within range of the Pais perfecthearing.

Nora considers most work performed by Msicosto be field research. Certainly the syndics spend timein labs, production facilities and meeting rooms, but the


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syndicate compartmentalizes much of the grunt workand hands it off to workers employed by the order.These workers only work with the fragment at handand remain perpetually unaware of the larger picture.

Many consider the syndics consultants or trouble-shooters brought in to update the direction of projectsor to create new ones.

Syndics can assign themselves, or be assigned, tomultiple areas of focus. Nora interests span the wholerange of 22nd century research subjects such as noetics,advanced biology, computer technologies, xenology,sentience relations and Taint. Fully one third of the syn-dicate devotes time to biotech research. One quartermaintains the orders pharmaceutical interests, makingdrugs stronger, safer and longer lasting. However, theorder isnt averse to funding the occasional high con-cept, provided there exists a possibility for scientificadvances or profit potential. For example, Noras studyof biological ontology hopes to definitively prove or dis-prove the existence of the human soul.

Whenever Msicos develop viable products ortheories, they pass their findings onto ARPO. Often theMusicians stumble onto discoveries that dont apply tothe orders needs but prove to be interesting within thebroader scope of science. If ARPO determines com-mercial viability, they send the research to Nora-con-trolled businesses for use in developing various prod-ucts. Occasionally the order donates such findings touniversities in return for the right of first refusal onnew technologies discovered at the various institutions.Profits from these technologies are second only toNoras lucrative pharmaceutical trade.

Msicos responsibilities also include the investiga-tion of any Nora technologies that break down in high-pressure situations. These forensic engineers recon-struct failure scenarios and determine whether Noraneeds to rework products designed for public or inter-nal use.Behind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the Mask

Msicos da Verdade contains 2500 syndics, ofwhom a mere 100 are biokinetics. Many Msicos be-lieve that del Fuego overworks the syndicates shifters,but their devotion to Nora does not go ignored. Theyreceive ample rewards in the form of amenities, com-panions, quarters and stock in their own accomplish-ments should the order ever use their ideas to createpublicly traded products.

Few Msico shifters become the subject of biokineticexperiments themselves. Rather, these syndics use theirpsionic skills to acquire information outside the reach ofa neutral researcher. The syndicate typically requestsbiokinetic subjects from the ranks of the Guerreros,though all experiments on other Nora must undergo astringent approval process.

Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron: 20th century physicist SubrahmanyanChandrasekhar

Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance: Nobody should rely on tools to replacehuman potential, but without them, full potential remainsout of reach. We strive to improve our tools and use themto augment our capabilities, not replace them.

Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group: Academics, Engineering, Investigation,Medicine, Savvy, Science

Espritos do SangramentoPractical IntelligencePractical IntelligencePractical IntelligencePractical IntelligencePractical Intelligence Where Guerreros do Bero are flashy, nobody ever

knows when the Espritos do Sangramento are about. Feweven realize theyve ever been around. The BleedingSpirits exist as Noras shadowy syndicate devoted toespionage and the gathering of intelligence. Theyre said

I Like My Science Mad!Contrary to the belief of Trinitys popular me-

dia, the Nora dont house a secret cabal of mad sci-entists who perform drug-addled experiments onunwilling human subjects. Almost all human experi-mentation that Nora undertakes conforms to pro-tocol established by worldwide scientific communi-ties. The order may have no qualms about perform-ing all kinds of horrible experiments on Aberrants orhostile aliens, but unauthorized, illegal and unwillinghuman experimentation certainly isnt the norm in thebiokinetic order.

Though many of the topics that Nora re-searches fall under the label of gray or blacktechnologies, the order avoids delving into certainrestricted areas such as cloning or aspects of Taintresearch. Nora doesnt hesitate to snap up infor-mation it finds on such subjects, but does not ex-

pand this restricted knowledge through any othermeans.

Of course, nothings stopping a Storyteller fromconcocting a secret facility located deep in the Andesand staffed entirely by mad Msicos.

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to be the spirits that bleed away the truth from theirtargets, fading into the night after extracting their poundof flesh.

Del Fuego cultivated a relationship with the Yana

Llanthu near the beginning of his tenure as the biokineticproxy. The possibilities of Nora agents intrigued thePeruvian spies, and they worked out an arrangement: inreturn for using a portion of resources to further Peru-vian interests, the Yana Llanthu would secretly trainNora agents. They did so without the knowledge oftheir own government, quietly revealing their actions tocertain upper levels of government only recently, in 2119.Though initially taken aback, the positive use of Noraassets impressed the officials. Whether or not they tryto take a more active role in directing Espritos remainsto be seen.

Geneva Jerde, still recovering from injuries sustainedin Mxico, replaced Vincento Perez as the director of theEspritos after his death late last year. She still grows ac-customed to the subtlety of the people she commands, butis learning fast. She faces opposition from hardline syndicsused to Perez command, but currently only in the form ofpersonal disagreements with her style of leadership. Howshe handles resources in the upcoming infiltration of theNihonjin metanational ToshiGinko will either prove her mer-its or her incompetence to the syndicate.

A large number of Espritos handle human intelli-gence, that which is most often identified as espio-nage. They target corporations, officials, governmentsand metanational organizations where the importanceof discretion outweighs the need for immediate results.They receive training in turning people against thosethey work for, methods of physical and political sabo-tage, questionable interrogation practices, political de-stabilization of a region and long-term infiltration tech-niques. True Nora assassins belong to the Espritos,though their methods are never flashy or unprofessional.

This syndicate also handles the acquisition of culturalintelligence. Whereas human intelligence focuses on obtain-ing data specific to a person or group, cultural intelligencedeals with broader social knowledge coupled with regionsand the cultures within them. Espritos do Sangramento main-tain a cultural database that includes general knowledgeof human civilization. Any Nora who travels to unfamiliarregions receives these updates on local customs, history,languages and etiquette from this database, if any are avail-able. Some astute Espritos simply travel throughout knownspace and record their experiences.

A small number of Espritos work with ARPO to re-cruit Nora, usually in two-person teams. ARPO syndicssend these syndics out once they identify potential can-didates, and the Espritos serve as the field team respon-

sible for conducting subtle background interviews of thesubjects known associates. These syndics concoct andperform behavioral testing to determine whether the po-tential candidate would make a good Nora.

Unbeknownst to much of the biokinetic order, andeven many of their fellow syndics, a fair number ofEspritos keep tabs on those who leave the order, as wellas those Nora deemed security risks. They watch forany signs indicating the disclosure of Nora secrets be-fore moving in. Nora only get one warning. Those wholeave the order receive none.Behind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the Mask

Of the 1,000 syndics who call themselves Esprito,250 are psions. Because of the sensitive nature of thissyndicates goals and methods, only full syndics are al-lowed within the ranks. Most of Noras experts inTransmogrify work among the Espritos, and by neces-sity are those Nora most closely watched for signs ofdisloyalty. A few unfortunate incidents within the last

The Secret WarNora has fought a secret war for nearly two de-

cades.Although popular conception involves biokinetics substituting themselves for others in positions ofauthority, Nora discovered long ago that Aberrantshad already beaten them to the punch. Whether physi-cally replacing these people of power, mentally controlling them or even worse, turning them into theirwilling pawns, Nora found infiltration of Aberraninterests at all levels of human society. Most of thework performed by the Espritos involves the identi-fication and elimination of these threats.

Its a dirty, thankless war that often involves the

sudden disappearance of contacts, the foul compro-mise of allowing a lesser evil to remain in order treach its master and the quiet murder of those Noradeems enemies of humanity. Nobody knows them aheroes, for nothing that they do officially exists. Theorders few telepathic agents do their best to keepthese syndics mentally healthy, but working in such harsh climate can permanently damage the Esprito icare is not taken. Few perform these duties for ex-cessively long periods of time, often switching out toless stressful assignments.

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Chapter One

decade have made this an imperative procedure. Roguespies are bad enough; rogue spies whom Nora trains toassume the identity of political targets are a politicalnightmare waiting to happen. Pai de Nora remains con-

vinced that such an occurrence might result in an at-tempted purge of the biokinetics, and has taken ratherextreme steps to ensure that this never happens.

Though lengthy, deep undercover jobs are very soli-tary affairs by design, Espritos who work standard infil-tration assignments often work with a small team of othersyndics. It is not uncommon for Esprito administratorsto keep syndics who work particularly well with one an-other together in the long term.

Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron: HerodotusAllegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance: As an order we are vastly capable, but

knowledge defines our capability. Our responsibility is tofurther our knowledge of the world and the people withinit. Only with the appropriate information can we truly dowhat is best for humanity.

Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group: Etiquette, Firearms, Interrogation, In-trusion, Stealth, SubterfugeAdministrao, Relaes Pblicas,e OperaesAsset ManagementAsset ManagementAsset ManagementAsset ManagementAsset Management

ARPO, the Portuol abbreviation of Administration,Public Relations, and Operations, is the spine of Norabureaucracy. Their duties include (but are not limited to)internal administration, public relations, asset manage-ment, recruiting, liaising with organizations and govern-ments, legal matters, medical care and the specifics ofNoras expansion. If anything requires official proce-dure, ARPO is rarely far behind.

Victor Trabaj, the public face of the Nora, servesas Proxy del Fuegos lieutenant in charge of ARPO. Muchof his duties involve his meeting with reporters, courtingcorporate interests, smoothing over any mistakes andspeaking of the Nora to the public. His people skills arerenowned, and he never forgets a face. Nora frequentlyconsult with Trabaj or his staff when they need to figureout exactly what they can and cannot share with thoseoutside of the order.

Though many Nora belonging to other syndicatesare quick to roll their eyes when ARPO gets involved withanything, such sentiment is largely posturing. ARPO doesnot micro-manage all Nora affairs, preferring to allowsyndics their own initiative within certain bounds. ARPObuilds on the other syndicates accomplishments and

cleans up any messes. This hands-off approach leads tothe occasional snarl, but generally works well for bothARPO and the other syndicates.

Half of ARPO personnel work in Administration. Most

Nora are familiar with Assets, the division which super-vises the Byzantine structure of the order. This divisionkeeps tabs on all syndics and provides them with assign-ments. Commercial manages all financial interests, fromthe pharmaceutical trade to Noras corporate interests.Liaison handles all Nora on extended, official retainerto external organizations. The Directive consists of delFuego, the directors of all Syndicates and certain long-standing members of the order. They determine whereNora is heading and how fast they want to get there. Alltop-level decisions are approved of or initiated by theDirective.

One quarter of ARPO personnel belong to Public Re-lations. Marketing spreads the good word of Norathroughout colonized space. Legal handles any lawsuitsagainst or imposed by the order. They are experts in thelegal implications of the ability to completely change yourbody, and provide counsel for those Nora who were per-haps overzealous in their actions. Salvage supervises anynecessary spin operations in which they attempt to turnbad press into good. They often work with Guerreros doBero or Espritos do Sangramento to twist facts or plantevidence, and their success rate is legendary within theorder.

Operations contains the final quarter of all ARPOpersonnel. Syndics in Investigation provide Nora withthe orders own perspective on events, often workingclosely with Legal in ongoing investigations. Medical issmall, but remains on hand to take care of Nora injuredboth physically and mentally. Diplomatic always has itshands full, cleaning up messes left by insovereign bodies.It also maintains a small corps of syndics who cultivategood relations with groups not currently particularly rel-evant to Nora operations, but which analysts think mightbecome important in the future.Behind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the MaskBehind the Mask

ARPO contains roughly 3,500 syndics. Approxi-mately 50 of these are psions, mostly biokinetics recov-ering from injuries, misfit Guerreros assigned to punish-ment duty and psions recruited from other orders. Veryfew syndics in ARPO deal with menial tasks. Highly ad-vanced computer agents often handle secretarial workand the brunt of research performed by the syndicate.


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This frees the syndics from the never-ending drudgeryof busywork, allowing them to get personally involved intheir projects and avoid bureaucratic snags so commonto such large organizations.

Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron:Patron: J.P. MorganAllegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance:Allegiance: No organization succeeds without know-ing exactly where and what it is. We exist as our own over-sight, catching errors and correcting our path, moving inthe direction that is best for us.

Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group:Ability Group: Bureaucracy, Command, Etiquette, In-vestigation, Style, Subterfuge

The VenezuelanPhenomenon

ISRAs Vision Process 418 has come to pass. Spo-ken of in hushed whispers, Process 418 was a report cir-culated amongst upper-level ISRAns and the Proxies. Itseemed to indicate that beyond a point in 2122, no ISRAn,including Proxy Otha Herzog himself, could see earthsfuture.

At 2251 hours on August 3rd, 2122, a large fluctua-tion in the quantum and subquantum spectrum emanated

from the Venezuelan quarantine zone. Knowing that thearea is home to Aberrants and other refugees from soci-ety as well by the plagues of last century, Nora immedi-ately mobilized teams to investigate. Preliminary reports

released to other psi orders and world governments wereinconclusive, though the biokinetics suspected Aberrantcollusion of some kind.

As usual, Nora knows more than it lets on. Thequarantine zone is a manufactured rumor, allowing theorder to house various sensitive research projectsthroughout the area with little fear of external interfer-ence. When Nora realized the origin of the disturbance,they sent multiple teams of syndics to the region to dis-cover its source.

The teams eventually found that something had razeda Msicos da Verdade facility to the ground. The placewas a noetic vortex. Psionic abilities functioned haphaz-ardly: either not at all or at levels beyond recorded capa-bility. Psions attempting to use theirAttunement immediately fell unconscious. Oddly, teamsfound the land surrounding the facility covered in twofeet of snow.

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Chapter One TRITON ARCHIVES

Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject: Tragic newsFrom:From:From:From:From: Otha HerzogTo:To:To:To:To: (recipient list suppressed)Encryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption: SPETransmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type: holofileDate:Date:Date:Date:Date: 00:00:00 08.04.2122

I pass these words along to all my brothersand sisters in ISRA.

It is with a heavy heart that I contact you,for P. Vaughn Williams was found dead earlier thisevening. Upon further investigation, the death willbe ruled as a suicide. For those acquainted, I of-fer my deepest condolences and commiseration.I considered Vaughn both a friend and a testa-ment to the strength of this order. That he feltthe need to take his own life is tragic.

Lest the rumors yet grow heads, I shall in-form every one of you that yes, his death wasunexpected. As many of you have experienced,the future of the earth and those connected to itis now uncertain. Such an occurrence could cer-tainly be troubling to those accustomed to know-ing what will or could be.

Dont think yourself blinded to the future.Think of the past 19 years as a gift: a head-start,if you will. The totality gave a glimpse of whatcould be, and look at all we accomplished! Nowthat we gain the advantage we can only continueas before until we understand the advantages ne-cessity.

We cannot see earths future, but in no waydoes this mean earth has no future. Though thefuture is now in question, suicide is not the an-swer.

Humbly,Otha Herzog

Strangely, this noetic ripple continued to spreadthroughout the world within the hour. Many psions closeto the region reported a strange form of backlash, whereinthey felt a brief but intense pain, though immediately af-

terwards it disappeared with no lasting effects. Somefound access to their modes suppressed, others a com-plete loss of psionic abilities. Still others found theirpsionic abilities boosted to levels theyd never achieved,or were able to access to modes within their Aptitudethat they shouldnt have. Many gained auxiliary modesovernight. Some experienced odd combinations of all ofthem.

Stranger yet, a large number of neutrals within theZone exhibited strong signs of latency. Some neutralsspontaneously developed weak psi abilities no morethan 2 dots of modes, but not necessarily restricted to asingle aptitude. Others displayed even stranger expres-sions that tapped into the subquantum universe, but pro-duced effects unrecorded by noetic science.

Most chilling were the Aberrant eruptions. Noracaptured three newly erupted Aberrants in Venezuelaalone, killing two more. Strangely, those captured exhib-ited minimal levels of Taint and much weaker abilities thanpreviously recorded. More alarming, Nora discoveredthat those killed were filled with levels of Taint unheardof since the Crash. Modern theory projects that theseAberrants would have died from Taint alone. Many af-flicted with Taint diseases experienced complete remis-sion or underwent immediate, painful deaths. Most pe-culiar of all, some of the Aberrants Nora keeps lockedin secret facilities throughout Sudamrica lost all signs ofTaint affliction.

Something new is loose in the world, and it doesntseem to be going away. Just the opposite, in fact: its gath-ering strength beneath the visible surface of the world,in depths only a handful of psions can plumb.

Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject: (no subject)From:From:From:From:From: WhitleyTo:To:To:To:To: MaxEncryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption: RPH/x9Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type: textfileDate:Date:Date:Date:Date: 07:02:49 08.04.2122

Looking to be about that time.

CONFIDENTIAL

Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject:Subject: Re: (no subject)From:From:From:From:From: MaxTo:To:To:To:To: WhitleyEncryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption:Encryption: RPH/x9Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type:Transmission Type: textfileDate:Date:Date:Date:Date: 07:04:10 08.04.2122

Soon.

CONFIDENTIAL


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The Nova

Documents

Aeon Trinity - Terra Verde - Psi Order Norça & Sudamérica Sourcebook