[Aeon Covenant]

The Scanners/Highlander Players' Guide

By Peter Flanagan

Chapter Three: Playing Well With Others

"We can make of reality what we choose."

-- Jeremy Northam, The Net

"Your will...is strong."

-- Bela Lugosi, Dracula (1931)

Eric blinked as the homeless man brushed passed him; a resonance of deep sadness had waved over him, as though the weight of the world had been on his shoulders. Poor guy, Eric thought. Maybe I can help... Eric carefully wove his kinetic powers together, starting to mend the ragged clothes he was wearing -- and suddenly he was staring at an eight-foot tall upright wolf, a wolf that was staring back in confusion and anger. "Wyrrrrm spawn!" it roared.

"Oboy," Eric said, backing away...

* * *

A lot of denizens of the World of Darkness have many misconceptions about who and what the Scanners and Immortals really are. Scanners, especially, throw a new wrinkle into old feuds. Immortals have been around, well, forever, but the pseudo-magi are something new.

The various supernatural beings of the Tellurian know little about each other; the groups as a whole know even less about the psions, or the Gathering.

Some individuals, however, know a lot more than they're telling...

Vampires

"Mortals are mortals. They're meat."

-- Vlad the Impala, Malkavian Archon (deceased)

The Camarilla, in typical vampiric arrogance, has dismissed the "strange urban sorcerers" as a distraction, not worthy of consideration. They rule the world, after all, and a few lunatics with strange powers of the mind aren't going to give them a problem.

The Reapers could wipe them out if they tripled their numbers.

This may seem like a stretch, but for two things: telepathy and pyrokinesis. One or the other would not be sufficient; mortal hunters have been using fire to hunt the Kindred since the beginning, and telepathic Numina is no match for a Kindred with a full Blood Pool. Most Scanners, however, can easily take a neonate, and even the princes are no match for a Scanner circle. (This, BTW, does not account for Methuselah intervention. No known Scanner is a match for one of these beings...)

This, however, is not going to happen. The Kindred and the Scanners will never go to war on a grand scale for two simple reasons. One, they both have a Masquerade in common; the mortals are still powerful and numerous enough to wipe both groups out should it come to that. Two, they're each too busy fighting their own. Sure, the Reapers could destroy the Camarilla or the Sabbat, if there were no Aeon Covenant. But there is, and they can't.

The rivalry between these forces is in fact minimal. The largest Scanner group is actually benevolent, and the Covenant has no interest in unveiling the Masquerade, even to the limited extent that they understand it. They content themselves with protecting the mortals from killers, and the Camarilla does not mind at all the assistance of these "gifted kine" in maintaining the Masquerade. The Sabbat would do more, however, if they had a clue about the Covenant. They're more familiar with the Reapers, and even that contact is rare at best.

The comments in Highlander: the Gathering more or less remain as stated for Kindred/Immortal relations. Aeon Covenant Immortals are watched warily by those who understand the connection, but in general the more or less good standing remains.

Werewolves

"Death to the Pentex Wyrmspawn!"

-- Storm Ripper, Shadow Lord Ahroun

Werewolves and Scanners do not get along.

This is due entirely to the wonderful efforts of your local Pentex corporation. They give psions they find (and are able to recruit) equal or better treatment, a job, a home, and a purpose. Unfortunately, that purpose is to hunt the "monsters" that prey on humankind, namely werewolves. They have managed to keep their First Teams from adding vampires to the list, and the "reformed" werewolves (Spiral Dancers) are given considerable respect -- the last thing most Scanners want to be seen as is racist.

In many ways, the Scanner phenomenon is what Pentex is trying to bring about in terms of their "evolution" concept. Unfortunately for Pentex, they don't know about EPH-1, and EPH-5 does not create Scanners. They've looked into purchasing Biocarbon Amalgamated, but that was a complete failure, due to separate efforts from Darryl Ruth, the Progenitors, and the Syndicate (which isn't that corrupt...yet...) which completely threw them off.

The real problem arises, however, when Aeon Covenant and the Thirteen Tribes run into one another. That didn't happen very often in the past, but now, as the new generation of Scanners tries to make a difference, these two groups of would-be heroes run afoul of each other with increasing regularity. If they were to work together, they would be a nearly unstoppable force, but the Garou see/sense the Scanner powers in effect, shift to Crinos form and attack, and the Covenant psis see a bunch of slavering monsters coming down on them.

It's a frustrating situation all around. Especially for the few members of both species who know what's going on.

A small but growing number of Glass Walkers and Children of Gaia have made alliances with Aeon Covenant, and have learned Numina or even (in rare cases) a version of their true telepathy from them. In return, these Garou have begun teaching a few small Gifts to the Scanners. The Metis, especially, are fond of the psis, and "Sense Wyrm" is slowly making its way through the society. The problem here is, of course, that these are not exactly the movers and shakers of Garou society.

Worse, the whole situation with the Scanners is making the relations between the Garou and the Immortals very strained. The Garou are beginning to look at the Immortals with concern, and the Aeon Covenant Immortals, noble warriors all, are very protective of their friends. Typical Immortal behavior, of course...

Mages

"Yes! This proves my theory beyond any doubt! Ether is of Mind, not Matter! Those fools at Paradigma must give me proper recognition for my Radionic Enhancer now!"

-- Bernard von Heisenberg, Son of Ether (natch)

A lot of mages are ecstatic over the Scanners.

The Sons of Ether are the Scanners' biggest fans, for a number of reasons. The Scanners use high technology, tend to be more open-minded about Science than their Consensus counterparts, and are literally living proof that there is more to science than the Technocracy would have the Masses believe. The Scanners, for their part, are fond of the Etherites, as one would be of a wacky but well-meaning uncle.

The Technocracy, for their part, is by and large pleased with the development of the Scanners. Now they need to regain control of the project.

The Progenitors and, surprisingly, the New World Order are most pleased with the Scanners. Although both groups would prefer that the Scanners keep an even lower profile than they are maintaining at present, the Progenitors are happy with the present level of success and the NWO is maintaining the place of mental powers on the Timetable thanks to their help. The Progenitors are gleefully working on the next generation of Scanners, planning to channel the Flaws in a certain direction, while the NWO intends to slowly provide the sleepers with "hints" of the Scanners' existence. Their long-term plan is to "explain" all past magickal phenomenon as early Scanners...

The Iterators, Void Engineers and Virtual Adepts are all somewhat more wary of the Scanners. While none of them really object in theory, Scanners have a way of disrupting their plans. Iterators and Adepts don't like how Scanners fight computers (they don't crash computers, they blow them up) and the Engineers are more of an outer exploration group than an inner one; they prefer to leave that sort of thing to the Akashics. Most Scanners think space travel is cool. (The one Scanner in the Void Engineers is quite friendly, but with her access to the "Sleeper" talismans, is a very frightening opponent...)

The Syndicate hates Scanners. Don't ask them why, they won't tell you. But it seems to be an almost instinctual reaction, and the feeling is mutual.

As for the more mystical Traditions, they seem to be more ambivalent toward the Scanners. The Akashic Brothers and the Order of Hermes have paradigms closest to that of the psions. The Brotherhood is fond of the Scanners, but feels they need to learn self-control. As for the Hermetics, they would love to use the Scanners to advance their paradigm, but the Flaws make them a bit wary of taking this path. (Both Traditions get along very well with Scanners possessing great Willpower.)

The other Traditions are capable of cooperating with Scanners, and have little trouble with them -- except for the Euthanatos and the Verbena. The Euthanatos are outraged by the creation of the Scanners, and many of them try to "destroy these spawn of the Technocracy." The Scanners, for their part, usually despise these "psychotic butchers" and know them only for serial killers. They aren't even aware of the existence of the Tradition.

As for the Verbena, they only know that these things were created by the Progenitors. Some of the more radical witches have crafted some ugly ends for a few Scanners, though the Reapers have happily returned death for death, among other unpleasant fates...

The Aeon Covenant, which includes beings of many "non-traditional" religions, would rather have peace with the Verbena, but they rarely encounter one another, and it usually comes down to who has their friends around and who is alone.

Wraiths

"All things die. These mindwalkers and so-called "Immortals" will face the Oblivion."

-- Friedrich Nietchze, Hierarchy bureaucrat

Scanners and Wraiths almost never run into one another.

Wraiths know a few things about the Scanners, but watch rather than interfere. Scanners, for their part, usually don't believe in ghosts. Immortals never become Wraiths. This, unsurprisingly, limits contact. Occasionally, a Wraith will try to possess a Scanner or a Covenant psi will find herself in the unenviable position of exorcist, but by and large they could care less about one another.

Except for a few Reapers, who've made contact with a small group of Spectres. The deal is, they'll mindwipe some Quick types and the Spectres can move in. Then the Spectres use their powers to help the Reapers...

Changeling

"Save me! (giggle)"

-- Katherine Montgomery, a very naughty Pooka

Changelings like Scanners. They're fun to play with. Ever since the boring humans stopped knighting people, there haven't been any mortal champions to lead around by the nose (ahem) I mean, to inspire to great adventures and heroic deeds. Most magi are big sticks-in-the-mud about things like that, and the Garou forgot what "fun" meant centuries ago. But these kids in Aeon Covenant just love charging to the rescue, or flying around jousting with dragons, or solving really strange mysteries, or...you get the idea. The Immortals are usually too old to play with, though. "Been there, done that" and all. Only the Sidhe have trouble with the democratic Covenant psis -- each finds the other insufferably arrogant and self-righteous. Fae treat Reapers much like Redcaps: either run like hell, shoot to kill or beg for mercy.

Aeon Covenant has no idea that they're involved with Changelings (except for the one who faced off with a dragon) and tend to get truly mystified by their adventures. But they have lots of fun, and Changeling-Scanner romances tend to go surprisingly well; telepathic lovers never get boring, especially while hiding one's faerie nature. Both species wait with anticipation to find out what the children will be like.

Again, the Reapers' reaction to the fae is much like that of a Redcap's; making 'em grovel is fun and put down the one who mouths off the most as an example, the difference being that an angry Sidhe doesn't scare a Reaper in the least...

The Reckoning

Scanners have no legends of a great Armageddon, no prophecy of the world's end. Their "culture," such as it is, consists of two small, youngish groups that are just struggling to survive at the moment. They have no internal politics to speak of, no sweeping legacy or destiny, no future but the one they make.

And they may well be the world's salvation.

Nothing was foretold of them. No divination accounts for them, no seers learned of them, then or now. They skirt the edge of Paradox, walking in the shadows of a World of Darkness, trying to find their way through to something better.

They just might.

As for the Immortals, one thing remains the same: In the end, there can be only one.