Contagion in WtF

[wyrdhamster]

As I prepare to run Contagion Chronicle storyline in my Werewolf chronicles, I made analysis of how gameline setting ideas can relate to Plagues elements, for anchoring it in game. As I already done that, I thought I will share with fan community here and start broader discussion. Enjoy!

Enemies

1. Fire-Touched – Uratha Tribe under patronage of Wolf God of Truth and Sickness sounds already as interested in Contagion. When you add that Izidakh are obsessed with Spirit World and it’s ecology, clearly any Plague that is affecting spirits is their first concern. Concerning Sworn/False divide, by their religious favor they often come to Jeremiad, and by more doomsday vibe they relate to Naglfar’s Army.
2. Bale Hounds – Cursed wolves of Maeljin are aiming for the end of the world, so Naglfar’s Army is natural faction for them. Contagion outbreaks can point to literal Hell on Earth when Plague swept through the region.
3. Hosts – Some Contagion strains are weakening Gauntlet, or even other dimensions. Hosts like Beshilu, that are dedicated in the end destroying of Barrier are natural allies for this forces, even if rats can be ignorant of the greater power they serve.

[wyrdhamster]

Over 60 views and no resposnes? Come on, wolfpeople, there should be more connections for Contagion ideas in WtF gameline!

[Helur]

Over 60 views and no resposnes? Come on, wolfpeople, there should be more connections for Contagion ideas in WtF gameline!

I'm actually more focused on the moonshunned. Someone can please resume to me how contagion will work? So I can say my own opinion about wtf

[wyrdhamster]

Someone can please resume to me how contagion will work? So I can say my own opinion about wtf

'Contagion' is broad term over vastly different regional events that break base reality in area, in some way. They are only put together as it's seem all those different effects are 'spreading' like a disease in various ecologies they start in - going even to mortals and other supernatural beings.

For now we have those shown as example Contagions:

• Parallel universe bleeds of beings and places ( Edinburgh, New Zealand )
• Vampires rising blood addiction and light sensitivity in all around them ( Edinburgh )
• Suicidal depression sticking to every self-conscious being ( Odense )
• Ghosts becoming material, permanently ( San Francisco )
• Corruption that makes you immortal and/or mutated ( Kyoto )
• And few other I did not read yet...

My own example idea: Contagion of Being, that slowly erase ephemeral and physical beings from reality.

[Nicolas Milioni]

did you by any chance check out my Host's Vectors in the original thread?

[wyrdhamster]

did you by any chance check out my Host's Vectors in the original thread?

Oh, I missed them. Quick search in topic...

Here they start - for ease of referenace, I will quote them, Nicolas

Guys, I have homebrewed some Host Edges.

check it out!
Host Edges for the Fervor Vector

• Purification
Hosts are disrupting force through and through,they are about building power by absorbing themselve into an
terrible amalgamation. with this Edge,they can waive the Willpower cost of purification,instead they sacrifice another
Host to their progenitor torning his enemy apart to shed the Condition.
•• Divine Revelation
Ironically,many of the more lucid Hosts place value in loyalty. After all,when you are a god-fragment trying to recuparate your
former glory,it pays to have loyal helpers. By spending one more Willpower point,the Host can inflict the Mesmerized condition
on the target of this Vector,as well as the normal effect of the power.
••• Cleansing Flame
The Hosts,remember what they once were. Not in their minds,but in their flesh and bone. When they reach for the Heavens
to wield the Sacred fire,they are indeed calling on the remains of their Progenitor. With Cleansing Flame
they can infect the victims of this power with a Shard of themselves.
•••• Modern Miracle
Hosts are in many ways,profanity given shape. They corrupt the Gauntlet,the sacred barrier between the Flesh and Shadow.
therefore they can choose to affect targets on both sides of the Gauntlet with their Miracles.
••••• Godhead
Make no mistake,Hosts were once Gods,they were monsters and scavengers and plagues,but above all else,they were Gods.
And now,it's time for them to reclaim their ancient glory and birthright.
When they use godhead,they can affect te Gauntlet without any Essence cost,and they can choose to harm the Gauntlet in one turn
as if they were harming it for a month.

part 2 of my Host Edges
Host Edges for the Authority Vector.
• Surveillance
Hosts are everywhere,or at least,their shards are. They know their away around tehcnology,they know how to watch
and listen for what's necessary. And sometimes,they ca brute-force their away into information instead of using finesse
Hosts replace Intelligence with Strenght for the Roll. Furthermore,they can spend Essence to gain Successes,each 5 Essence
points grants the Host one automatic Sucess.
•• The Boss Is In
When you see the monstruos,terrifying and awe-inspiring monster enter the room,you know the Boss is indeed In.
The Host can choose one member of the organization he is taking control of,that member will always have a Perfect impression
of the Host for the rest of the session.
••• Plutomancy
Money may seem useless for something as uncontrollable as a Host,but even they may use a litttle green to make things easier for themselves
Furthermore,they can consume each other's money in very real way. By sacrificing and devouring another shard,the Host may gain an extra Plutomancy point.
•••• Panopticon
The Hosts were once parts of beings who could see into may layers of reality,include the abodes of other beings of similar power
if the Host uses the senses of another Host,he can extend the period of this power to 72 hours.
••••• The Big Lie
Some people are never the same after seeing the might of a Host. The host can choose a person who has heard the lie,that person
will forever believe the lie,no matter what proof he sees of the contrary.

[Nicolas Milioni]

i'm very proud of those

[wyrdhamster]

But, wait, now thinking about them - You think that Hosts have place in Sworn factions? Like Beshilu Rat Mans that ate inside out of poor fellow and now reside there dozens of Hosts Shards...

Like, for me, it's a bit too terrifying. Also, Hosts sounds much more on False side, as they want to spread the Contagion, not limit it.

[nofather]

Their drive is to rebirth their progenitor. It's possible some will gain the intelligence to realize the Contagion may be aspects of their progenitor sending instructions on how to do so, thus join the Rosetta Society. The Cryptocracy offers power and knowledge that most groups wouldn't refuse. Something like the Theseans could be appealing to particularly powerful and torn members like Ariadne, who wish to try to change themselves to avoid their destiny, but could also be appealing to hosts who perhaps think changing what they are might be a better way to bring back the Spinner Hag, Carrion Prince or whoever.

I think they'd certainly lean towards the False but wouldn't be limited to it, especially once you get to the point where they're intelligent enough to gain some independence and agency.

[Nicolas Milioni]

But, wait, now thinking about them - You think that Hosts have place in Sworn factions? Like Beshilu Rat Mans that ate inside out of poor fellow and now reside there dozens of Hosts Shards...

Like, for me, it's a bit too terrifying. Also, Hosts sounds much more on False side, as they want to spread the Contagion, not limit it.

Think of it this way,if the contagion does to the gauntlet the oposite of what the hosts want,they will want to oppose it. Besides,they have their uses as spies and foot soldiers also, remember Ariadne? Imagine what she can do either for the sworn and the false. An host of her level is ticking time bom,and a smart sworn could leave such a bomb to explode right on their enemies doors

[LostLight]

The Beshilu may have deeper connection to the Contagion than the other Hosts (I mean, Rat is known as the Plague King for a reason- who knows? Maybe it went crazy after being infected by the Contagion during Pangaea). Not sure where it would put them, as carriers of ages old strain, but it could serve as a storybook.

[wyrdhamster]

Symptoms
(...)
Stages of Contagion are describing firstly effects on Ephemeral Beings, then after ‘/’ for the humans and physical monsters. Beasts of Dark Mother, Bound Sin-Eaters and Uratha werewolves are in worst situation because of this Plague – they response they were are both Ephemeral and physical beings, at once. On Stage 2 they lose Essence/Plasm/Satiety and their shadow. And on Stage 3 they lose Corpus ( Health in reality ) and lose contact with outside world.

Contagion Carrier (Persistent)

1. Contagion-Touched – Social penalty -1 to express oneself / Social penalty -1 as people subconsciously omit Touched in conversation.
2. Infected (1) – Blocking of 1 Manifestation per day. When loss of last one – next stage. / Loss of reflection in water, mirrors and similar.
3. Infected (2) – Loss of 1 Essence per day. When loss of last one – next stage. / Loss of shadow on any light source.
4. Infected (3) – Loss of 1 Corpus point per day. Uratha are checking entering Basu-Im each night because of Essence hunger. Begotten has 0 Satiety. When loss of Corpus box – final stage. / People do not notice you unless you make physical contact ( transmitting Contagion then ).
5. Disappearance – Final outcome, you cease to exist.

Consequences of Contagion
Ephemeral Beings:

• Loss of Manifestations – Slow disappearance of Twilight Form, Reaching, Fetter and Posses or Claim makes ephemerals not possible to affect humans – so now healing, blessings and overwatching of spiritual entities of humanity. More deadly accidents, weaker tools, and first and foremost – no influence of ghosts and spirits on the mortals. People are becoming more and more agnostic in their worships.
• Loss of Essence ( and a like ) – Weaker spirits ( and other ephemerals ) are easier prey for their enemies. Predatory spirits are more violent, weakened by Contagion spirits and ghosts looks for the way to jump over to the Flesh World and collect Essence directly. Spiritual landscapes madness. Hungry Werewolves without Essence and Beasts Satiety going down implies rampaging Uratha and Horrors in physical bodies on Flesh World. Mortals become more dull and detached from their emotions.
• Ephemerals cease to exist – Like in Loss of Essence, but much more direct. Spirit World and Primordial Dream is turn upside-down with gaps in ecology. Underworld is much more ‘hungry’ as ghosts-slaves of it are disappearing. All the realms are starting to ‘steal’ mortals in place of their native ephemerals, to fill the roosters.

Okay, revisioning my Inconclasm Contagion idea. Reading more rules on Contagion, I see character simply goes from Infected (1) to Infected (2) and then Infected (3) simply by passing times of chapters without cure ( number of Stage +1 ). However, how character goes from Contagion-Touched to Infected (1) Condition? There is a way for stoping the Contagion ( avoid contact with source ), but there are not the rules for when character goes from Touched to Infected, finally.

Other idea I have - I thinking about adding extra rule for Infected (1) stage for werewolves - where Ephemerals are losing Manifestations, Uratha would get extra Kuruth Triggers. But this seems to imbalance them against other hard hit supernaturals by Contagion - Beasts and Bound/Sin-Eaters - as those groups would not have something this hard on this stage. Also, deciding extra Kuruth Triggers could be a problem on itself - Do infected Uratha get's new Kuruth Trigger set, with Passive, Common and Specific forms? Only one of them? If only one,which should character get? Maybe it's a too much a hurdle to get werewolves even worst than rest of afflicted monsters...

[wyrdhamster]

Development on my Iconoclasm Contagion - Viking PCs where in small chapel in North Greece. Contagion-Touched Uratha player was trying to drink mass wine. But he already has Blood of Human as Kuruth Trigger. Player in joke wondered if character will react to it as 'they believe it's blood of human'. Went with that, describing how PCs is resisting Basu-Im, changing to Urshul in Wasu-Im he is, with some black veins on the mouth and something that looks like blood, not wine, on his face. Good times! ( Later I described how he has slight fever in even normal temperature room. )

[Penelope]

There’s some stuff about the Contagion in Shunned by the Moon. And my friend thinks the Malkavia virus is another strain of the Contagion (although that’s not really WtF).

[wyrdhamster]

And my friend thinks the Malkavia virus is another strain of the Contagion (although that’s not really WtF).

I steal your idea for Alternative Contagion Origins!