Berenices

Berenices

Even other Symbiotic fear the Berenices and rightly so. The twisted and warped minds of their Ta’Ki Kin have polluted their minds thanks to their mental intraweb, commonly dubbed the “Madness Super Highway” by modern Briary. The result that essentially every last Berenices across the world is incurably insane in one way or another. What's worse, a Berenices' madness can take nearly any form, from overpowering homicidal tendencies to near-catatonia. In many cases, there's no way to tell a Berenices apart from the "sane" members of other Kins. Those few whose psychoses are immediately obvious are among the most terrifying Briary to stalk the streets.

For as long as even the oldest Novans can remember, the Berenices have always stirred Novan society with their passages, histories, and speeches. They were efficient secretaries and helped coordinate the efforts of Novan cities and power-bases throughout their infiltrated planets. Now they are viewed and little more than dangerous casualties of the Ta’Ki. Although the Kin has instigated no great wars or toppled any humans governments (at least, to the best of their fellow Briary's knowledge), the very presence of a Berenices works a subtle change on a city. Chaos nips at the Maniacs' heels, and those who associate with even the most well-meaning Berenices often find their lives and even their psychology altered by the Novans’ madness.

Recently, the Berenices executed their grandest "prank" of all. None can say whether it was worked in a great Berenices Parliament held somewhere in an isolated European village, or on a bleak and forgotten moor somewhere far from the cities. A few stories speak of a epidemic of contagious dementia exploding among those of Berenices' blood. Whatever the cause, Berenices across the world have begun displaying a new, dangerous edge to their madness, accompanied by bizarre events in Novan cities around the world. A longstanding Berenices conceit holds the coming of the Grand Emperor’s Invasion Army as a joke instigated by the Berenices Praetors in concert with the Emperor’s Grand Praetors. Some Novans wonder if, in fact, Berenices are right and whole infiltration hasn’t been a huge joke being played on them all along.

None can say what exactly makes the Maniacs so dangerous. Some say it is the lies that are just convincing enough to cast doubt in those who listen. Others claim that it’s their knowledge of uncomfortable truths that are dangerous for anyone to know too much about. Certainly, their madness often frees them from fear of pain or True Death. More than a few demonstrate horrifying murderous urges or a complete lack of emotion, including compassion. But most convincingly, the Berenices are free from the confines of rationality and may do whatever they like - and this freedom is coupled with an uncanny insight through the use of their Madness Super Highway (MSH), the strangely warped version of the original Berenices intraweb of wisdom that can no longer be perceived by the “sane.” The Berenices possess a dark intellect that is often - and increasingly - set to frightening purposes.

Military Function: Record-Keepers/Book-Keepers/Historians/Maniacs

Alliance: The Berenicess as a Kin have an “understanding” with the Ben'Tek. They also populate the Ta'Ki in lesser numbers, where they frighten even their allies with their psychotic displays. The Bava ally themselves with the Ben’Tek, while the Kavia’Sorum sect remains loyal to the Ta’Ki, and the MVK consider themselves independent and give their allegiance to neither. But when it all comes down to it, their true loyalties likely transcend alliances. If and when the Grand Emperor’s Invasion army arrives, nobody can say for sure where the Berenices will stand.

Appearance: Berenices run the gamut from terrifyingly psychotic to disturbingly nice to convincingly ordinary in every way - sometimes both at once. Just like serial killers, they could be anyone - the scruffy bum talking to himself, the pleasant but quiet neighbor, the borderline-suicidal musician, a Green River killer. These Briary are capable of great subtlety, and rarely show anyone a face other than the one they want people to see.

Dominion: The Maniacs by and large take whatever shelter they like, although more than a few find aging hospitals and poorly funded asylums to their tastes. Many seem to enjoy the company of desperate humans, and prefer slums and institutions to more secluded homes.

Background: Berenices take their squires from all walks of life and for all number of reasons. Anyone can be chosen to further a Master's twisted purposes, although most Maniacs prefer assimilating those already close to (or subject to) madness. The pliable minds of those within mental institutes are often great candidates. Most other Briary believe that the Berenices assimilate their squires on a whim without rhyme or reason; however, virtually all Maniacs discover themselves subtly championing some barely perceptible "purpose," the full extent of which none - not even their Masters - can properly fathom.

Character Creation: Berenices come in all shapes and flavors, but many have primary Mental Attributes, befitting the Kin's reputation for wisdom and insight. The MVK have also been known to have primary Social Attributes, befitting this Kinline’s propensity to be influential, if not psychotic leaders and personalities. Apart from that, it's anyone's guess just what Traits a Berenices may manifest - with the diversity of their concepts and backgrounds, these mad Briary could be anyone. Anywhere. And that scares many Novans more than anything else.

Kin Disciplines (Ancient Ben‘Tek): Extraordinary Senses, Dominate, Chameleon.

Kin Disciplines (Ben’Tek & Ta‘Ki): Extraordinary Senses, Aberration, Chameleon

Kin Disciplines (Independent): Dominate, Aberration, Presence

Weaknesses: Every last Briary of Berenices' blood is irredeemably insane in some form or another. Some attribute this to the deformation and impurities with their Kin’s intraweb, while other Maniacs actually call it a special blessing, “a gift of insight.” When a Berenices character is created, the player must choose at least one derangement for that character at the time of the assimilation; this derangement can be temporarily fought with Willpower, but can never be permanently overcome.

Organization: The hierarchy of the Berenices, if it exists at all, defies description. Most are usually content to let one another do as they like from day to day. They are all connected and interwoven by their MSH and most don’t look for much more connectivity than that. But now and again or in times of great need, Berenices demonstrate an uncanny ability to act in unison without any apparent leadership - and sometimes even without any apparent communication. As one, they arise from their desolate lairs. As one, they tackle on the problem at hand. And when it is a problem no longer, they drift back to their usual routines. If the Berenices indulge in any form of machinations as a Kin, they are incomprehensible to outsiders - which may just as well be a blessing.

Kinlines: and the MVK consider Before the Aberration power set was introduced by the arrival of the Ta’Ki and their Kavia’Sorum Berenices and spread contagiously throughout their entire Kin (in 1776 or so), a great number of Berenices expressed their mind-warping talents and asserted themselves through the use of the Dominate power set. Few Berenices weren't caught in the redoubled tide of insanity that swept the Kin by means of MSH. It was so swift and unexpected that most Berenices were stricken with it before they had ever realized what had happened. Nevertheless, those few ancients that survived it, known as the Bava, still possess that power in lieu of Aberration. Still, the majority of both Ben’Tek and Ta’Ki Berenices are corrupted by the powers of Aberration. The only other notable kinline, the MVK, are a secretive group that has chosen to pursue a more Marxist and social agenda. Perhaps the most dangerous of all, they are often hard to spot right away and can be extremely influential in motivating masses to join them in their insane and often dangerous ventures and reasoning's. The rest of the Kin pays these offshoots no particular notice; indeed, with only a few exceptions, Berenices don't differentiate between this bloodline and the Kin proper at all. Quote: Laugh if you like. Doesn't matter. Assume that you're so much smarter than the poor, broken madman. Doesn't matter. But think about this: You're a symbiote, the same as me. You were assimilated and reborn anew. What makes you and me different? Simple - I remember what I saw when I was in my final human minutes. Trust me. If you saw the truth, you'd be mad, too.

Stereotypes:

Tuscanite: Ok then. What an enlightening experience.

Grux: I want to like your average Grux, but he’s so dense he can’t even realize any of the useful knowledge he has hidden away up there. No reason to waste my time.

Hydruns: I can't understand them. Have they gone mad? How can they not understand what they've seen? Good grief. Earth and sky help them.

Vulpek: Only the fool believes them to be animals. Peel back the layers to their onion and what do you find? A secret worse then man, Briary, or animal? Yes? Yes! No?

Venatici: Their inside gossip is little more than yesterday’s news to those who listen. However, their fascinations are most interesting. One can always learn, even from the fool.

Lascerta: The Lascerta? *An explosion of helpless, hysterical giggling, swelling up into full-throated laughter*

Fornaxus: They just about mortified enough of their own flesh to blast through the wall of delusion from the other side of perception. They're onto something but who knows if there'll be anything left of them when they get there? We must help them try harder.

Ragnok: Call us delusional and dangerous? Ha! Go look at Ragnok for a while.

Torrivora: Puppets who pull their own strings, or offer them to anybody who wants to make them dance. Dance baby, dance. Oh how amusing.

Trojin: They. Are on. To us. OR. ARE. THEY! BWAHAHAHA!!! HA?

Caelum: Penguins. They decided they like the water so much, they traded in their wings for flippers. If you can’t beat um, get out of the game, right?

Borieal: They will never accept it, no matter who tries to hand it to 'em. Well, don't say we didn't warn you.

Chakna: From their number will the One emerge. Eyes always watchful.

Ben'Tek: It's like Little Women, but you can't wait for the ending, where they get there and realize what they are!

Ta'Ki: It's more fun when you don't try so hard. They are not that fun.