Historia y contexto

also evidence that time spent on the Reef temporar-ily alleviates some of the outlying damage in the memory centers.

The leading theory on Distance states that pass-ing from one brane to another durpass-ing travel exposes the Nearsider to a slightly different set of quantum energy levels. While the HbA allows the Nearsider’s atoms to slowly “shift” to this new level, it causes permanent damage as it does so. This shift of fre-quencies does not occur immediately, which is why it takes a while for Distance to increase and why Near-siders can leap back and forth between worlds and not accumulate large amounts of Distance quickly.

However, the need to Attune to a new variation seems to indicate an emotional and/or spiritual com-ponent to the process, the consequences of which are not yet fully understood.

Non-Nearsiders lack this ability to shift energy levels, and therefore cannot travel at all.

Suddenly existing in a new universe, with al-most identical (but not quite) physical laws, also causes a sudden “jolt” to the Nearsider’s system.

This is what causes the rush and replenishment of Momentum when traveling to any variation other than the Ordinary World (Earth¹), almost like an im-mune reaction.

Eventually, the HbA attunes to that world’s energy signature, adjusting all the way from the quantum scale to the macro biological level, causing the structural changes mentioned above. This physi-ological change is permanent, resulting in more Distance.

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Being able to heal the sick or read minds is all very well, but it comes at a price.

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As a Nearsider travels and gains experience, they slowly begin to become emotionally detached from non-Nearsiders. This is not just a function of increasing Distance, though that plays a large part.

The increased amount of activity in the Hindbrain

Distance

Anomaly appears to dampen activity in the limbic system, specifically in the nearby hypothalamus and the cingulate gyrus, which compounds the feelings of detachment.

A Nearsider’s expanded experiences and insight gained from travel simply make it difficult for them to relate with negs. Some have compared this to a world-traveler that has returned to his small home town and finds himself unable to relate and connect with those he left behind.

The worst effects of this detachment do not occur until the Nearsider has accumulated 5 points of Distance.

Once past this point, a character will begin to notice an actual change in her responses to certain situations.

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Nearsiders change reality around themselves without even thinking about it. This altering of reality has hap-pened since the Nearsider first gained a point of Dis-tance. Related to the Nearsider’s Prime Meridian, these, these effects are more pronounced at high Distance and may even directly impact HbA- individuals in the Near-sider’s proximity.

This effect is called “frame-dragging,” after the

relativistic side-effect that mass has on space-time and other objects. Frame-dragging represents the distorting effect very high Distance has on reality as these Near-siders move around.

Those in proximity to a high-Distance Opener, for example, may find that doors unlock, shoe-laces unravel and even that wounds do not heal.

A Distance 13 Closer’s frame-dragging may cause jars to become impossible to open, or locks to become jammed and broken. It may even cause arterial block-ages, leading to strokes or heart attacks in high-risk individuals nearby. Such effects do not occur quickly or all at once, but the mere presence of a high-Distance Nearsider significantly increases the chances of these things occurring.

Nearsiders have no control over frame-dragging, though having low amounts of banked Momentum signifi-cantly reduces these effects. This is one reason why a Near-sider might want to bleed Momentum (see page 99).

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13

Once a Nearsider achieves a Distance of 13, nothing feels the same. The Nearside itself seems almost claus-trophobic. The most Distant hunger for new horizons,

Distance

which is one reason so many seem to support Con-vergence of the variations in hopes of a new network of realities afterward.

Some Nearsiders cannot bear their lives once they understand everything about the Nearside. Some come to understand secrets and truths that they cannot share, for they cannot find the words to describe the reality they have uncovered. These Nearsiders find a way to end their existence, usually violently.

Others decide that they’ve seen enough and that travel can no longer sate their curiosity or need to adventure. These individuals become solitary and hermit-like, avoiding the company of other Nearsid-ers, to spend their time contemplating what they’ve seen and experienced.

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When variant selves encounter each other, their proximity causes their HbAs to resonate, causing distress and draining their Momentum as they get closer to each other. This is Haecceity, a dangerous side effect of spending quality time with oneself.

Aside from the risk of Displacement, Haecceity also causes each Nearsider to remember things that their

“other self” has seen and done.

Haecceity causes a sharing of experiences, a memory “leakage” that connects both individuals.

This psychic feedback, like holding a live mic in front of a speaker, builds and intensifies as the two remain in proximity.

Some memories have powerful emotions at-tached, which also transfer. These free-floating for-eign experiences cause stress within both Nearsid-ers’ minds. Initially, the HbA can cope with these errant memories, but as Distance accumulates, it is less effective at sorting out the real memories from the shared.

Even after the Nearsider’s counterpart has left the vicinity and neither party is suffering Haecceity, these shared memories can cause confusion and present problems for both individuals.

The sensation of shared memories exhibits as something that feels like powerful deja vu. A Near-sider faced with a place, situation or person that actually comes from a counterpart’s memory will not quite be able to put a name to a face or remember

exactly what happened, but the sense of it having oc-curred to them is strong. Unlike true deja vu, where the sensation of familiarity is false, leakage represents real but incomplete memories. Another difference is that the feeling of familiarity is not based in the “pres-ent” but feels like a memory. The Nearsider will not feel as if the presence event or situation has occurred before, but will recognize people and places that they could not possibly know.

This is represented by a 1d penalty to Mind Checks in situations where the shared memories are

Talk the Talk

The Regency Group and other organizations also categorize Distance as a number between one and 13, though usually this number only appears on medical reports and psychologi-cal evaluations. Nearsiders use their own terminology to describe various levels of Distance.

Nearsiders with low Distance (5 or less) are sometimes called Tourists or Day Trippers (or Newbs by younger Nearsid-ers). They have attuned to less than half the worlds of the Nearside, and have less experience and raw power than more well-travelled Nearsiders. They are learning more about the Nearside and in turn, themselves. They are generally treated dismissively by other, more Distant Nearsiders, or with pity.

Nearsiders with Distance between 5 and 10 are called Journeymen or Travelers. They have attuned to more than half of the worlds and have extensive experience and a great deal of power. Less Distant Nearsiders often regard Journeymen as being dangerous and political, as if they are in the process of leaving their humanity behind. Journeymen view these young Nearsiders as upstarts and potential threats.

Nearsiders with Distance greater than 10 are sometimes called Frequent Fliers or Farwalkers. They have attuned to all, or nearly all, worlds and have reached the pinnacle of their powers. Their understanding of the Nearside is almost complete and they may seem almost inhuman to other, less Distant Nearsiders, ranging from cold and uninvolved to dangerously unhinged.

Particularly well-known or infamous Nearsiders are

usu-ally referred to as Names, as in “is the target a Name, or just

an ordinary Tourist?” While this kind of notoriety isn’t

specifi-cally limited to the very Distant, Frequent Fliers do tend to

attract more attention than most.

Distance

relevant. This effect lasts 1 day for every point of Mo-mentum lost during Haecceity.

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All Nearsiders possess the ability to sense Distance and Momentum. This can be Distance possessed by a place, person or object. It also allows Nearsiders to use analog clock faces as maps to the nearest broken room. Nearsight is “always on,” though a character does have to make an effort to sense Distance or use a clock map.

Characters can become better at using their Near-sight by increasing the NearNear-sight Concentration located within the Perception Skill. Using Nearsight is similar to using any other Skill, but Depth is always used to de-termine the size of the dice pool.

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Distance changes not just characters, but the world around them. Much as the Nearside itself has a “grav-ity” associated with it — a sense of up and down — Distance creates its own “gravitational field” around a character that can be sensed by other Nearsiders.

Given this sensitivity to the presence of Distance, those who are HbA+ can use Nearsight to determine if another person is a Nearsider, and if so, just how Dis-tant (and powerful) he is.

A Nearsider can “feel” Distance when it’s nearby.

Low levels of Distance create a mild dizziness, like when you stand up too fast. As levels increase, the sensation becomes stronger and more uncomfortable.

High levels of Distance produce a yawning vertigo, a sense of standing on the brink of a great fall.

Normally, a Nearsider has to be actively trying to sense Distance, though very high levels of Distance can be detected passively, especially if a very distant Near-sider is bleeding Momentum or spending it freely to power Meridians.

Should a character bleed their Momentum away completely, she becomes much more difficult to de-tect, requiring at least 3 successes to sense.

A character may often have other ways to tell if someone else is HbA+, such as looking for occurrences of 13 in the other person’s attire or by asking a ques-tion only a Nearsider knows how to answer (“Can you

usually safer than risking being overwhelmed by using Nearsight.

To use Nearsight, the character makes a Depth+Nearsight check. Each success reveals a piece of information.

1 success: Can sense that Distance is present. Cannot detect a Nearsider with zero Momentum.

2 successes: Can sense whether that Distance is higher or lower than the character’s. Cannot detect a Nearsider with zero Momentum.

3 successes: Can determine the target Nearsider’s actual Distance and current Momentum. Can detect a Nearsider who currently has zero Momentum.

A failure results in no information, while a botch results in the Nearsider being overwhelmed by the other’s Distance.

Nearsight can also be used to determine the spin of a broken rooms (see page 103), read Clock Maps or see an object that has been marked.

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All Nearsiders can create special items with varying amounts of power to assist them on their travels. When imbuing an object, the character actually transfers some of their own Momentum into the object.

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The simplest form of imbuing is called Marking. To Mark an item, a Nearsider simply concentrates for 13 seconds while touching it to transfer a point of Mo-mentum into it. This doesn’t have any effect other than making the object “light up” to Nearsiders using Near-sight. The Momentum lingers around the object until it fades away 13 hours later. Any kind of item can be Marked as long as it isn’t a living thing and is smaller than an average car. A Marked item is visible to anyone achieving at least one success with a Nearsight check.

The maximum number of Marked items a character can have in existence at one time is equal to his Distance.

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Upon achieving a Distance of 6, Nearsiders can turn one deeply personal item into a Talisman. This item must have been carried by character to at least three of the worlds she has visited. By slowly pouring all of

Distance

hours, the character succeeds in creating an item capable of storing extra Momentum for her. This item can only be used by the Nearsider creating it, and is only able to hold up to the creator’s Depth in Momentum.

For example: Eliza wants to turn her pocket knife into a Talisman. It belonged to he father, and grand-father before that. Both of them are now deceased, but she has always carried the knife and remem-bered her family motto of “Cut quick and cut true.”

The Momentum within the Talisman can be used for any purpose a character’s normal Momen-tum can be used. As long as she has the Talisman in her possession, she can use the Momentum within it. However, the Momentum stored within the Talisman cannot be tapped unless the Near-sider’s personal Momentum pool is empty, and it cannot be refilled until the Nearsider’s personal Momentum pool is full.

A Nearside with no Momentum cannot make Meridian checks, even if he has Momentum within his Talisman.

For example: Mike only has 1 point of Momen-tum in his personal pool, but has 3 stored within his Talisman (an engraved metal flask). He wants to influ-ence his next Marksmanship check by increasing his dice pool by 2. He spends the one point of Momen-tum from his personal pool and one from his Talis-man. He now has zero Momentum and his Talisman has two points of Momentum.

Upon stepping though a broken room, a Talis-man is drained of all Momentum. It can, however, be refilled normally.

If lost, the character cannot create another Talis-man. Because of this, many Nearsiders guard their Talismans ferociously.

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Nearsiders with a Distance of 7 can create items called Trinkets, which can hold one Average (1) or Challenging (2) effect from the character’s Prime ridian. A Nearsider creates a Trinket by making a Me-ridian Check and spending twice the normal amount of Momentum to activate the successes — once to fuel the effect and once to imbue the effect into the item. If the character does not get the needed

num-ber of successes or doesn’t have enough Momentum to fuel and imbue the effect, the Trinket is not created.

Each attempt to create a Trinket takes 13 hours. Once created, the Trinket will contain the effect until un-leashed or the creator makes another Trinket.

For example: Misty is a Blocker who wants to turn a broach into a Trinket that will provide 2 points of armor to reduce damage. This is a Challenging (2) effect, so it is within the allowable capabilities of a Trinket. She makes a Meridian check and gets the 2 successes she needs. She spends 2 points of Momen-tum to activate the successes and another two points of Momentum to bind the effects to the item.

Although a Nearsider can carry as many Trin-kets as he wants, he can only have one of his own creations in existence at one time. If he creates a second Trinket, the first Trinket becomes a standard item. A character can use any Trinket he is holding, even if he doesn’t know what it does, or its effects are from a Meridian he does not possess. Trinkets can be examined with Nearsight. One success re-veals that it is a Trinket, two rere-veals what Meridian the effect comes from and three reveals what the effect actually is.

To unleash the effect of a Trinket, all a Nearsider needs to do is imbue it with one point of Momen-tum. This takes a standard action in combat. Once the Trinket’s effect is unleashed, it becomes a stan-dard item.

Trinkets are sometimes altered when traveling through broken rooms, making their effects perma-nent. This is how Artifacts are made. The exact process behind this transformation is random and unknown.

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A character can share her Distance with another indi-vidual for a moment. For negs, this is a highly disori-enting experience as they suddenly experience a rush of images and thoughts that they cannot process. The sensation causes dizziness, nausea and leaves the tar-get reeling and unable to think or act coherently for several seconds.

Characters can inflict Distance on other Nearsid-ers, but only if they have a higher Distance than their target. If not, nothing happens and the target merely

“feels” a weak, fleeting wave of pressure.

Distance

Distance

To push Distance, the character makes a Meridian check using their best Meridian concentration. The target makes a Soul check to resist. If the attacker achieves more successes than the target, he can then activate as many of the Net Successes he desires for one point of Momentum each. Each activated Net Success results in a 1d penalty to the target’s action checks for a number of turns equal to the net successes. For example, if the attack gets 4 net successes, the target suffers a 4d penalty for 4 turns. Distance can be pushed to non-Nearsiders or to Nearsiders with a lower Distance than the attacker.

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For Nearsiders, analog clock dials tell more than just the time. They also give them the direction of the nearest broken room and a rough idea of the time remaining until it cycles. Nearsight allows Nearsid-ers to see a second pair of hands on any clock face.

This ghostly set of hands indicates the distance and direction of the nearest broken room, as well as its current destination.

The “other hour hand” indicates the nearest broken room’s current destination. In the case of broken rooms that open to multiple locations at once, the other hour hand seems to flicker in both locations. Rooms that open to the Reef do not possess an hour hand at all.

The “other minute hand” determines how far away the broken room is. The closer it is to noon, the closer the nearest broken room is. This works in a clockwise direction. A minute hand located between 12 and 1 indicates that the nearest bro-ken room is possibly hundreds of miles away, if not more. A minute hand located between 11 and 12 indicates a broken room nearby. A minute hand located a sliver before 12 might indicate a broken room within a few hundred feet of the clock.

The “other second hand” indicates when the broken room is going to cycle next. In much the same way as the minute hand works, the closer the second hand is to midnight, the sooner the room will cycle. If the character watches the hand long enough (which can take some effort) they will see it move, but it’s not a reliable way to determining how

The “other second hand” indicates when the broken room is going to cycle next. In much the same way as the minute hand works, the closer the second hand is to midnight, the sooner the room will cycle. If the character watches the hand long enough (which can take some effort) they will see it move, but it’s not a reliable way to determining how

In document PREPARAR A LOS MAESTROS PARA EDUCAR (página 111-114)