Ship of Theseus
The Ship of Theseus is a Sworn faction who see the Contagion as a vector of evolution, reinvigorating stagnant supernatural societies.
Overview
To the Theseans, supernatural beings and their social groups are falling behind while human society progresses at a blinding pace. If the creatures of the night don't keep up, they'll die out - and the Contagion is their death rattle. Or maybe it's the Machine itself that's become stagnant, and the Contagion is its attempts to reinvent itself. Either way, only be innovating and evolving can the world stay one step ahead of the Contagion, and fortunately, the Contagion helps with that too.
Other factions, particularly Cryptocrats, tend to see the Ship of Theseus as a bunch of reckless lunatics who sow chaos for chaos' sake. Like the Rosetta Society, they're apt to get lost in their own agendas and lose sight of the immediate problem. Theseans usually say their diverse membership is a strength, as interaction with other supernaturals can inspire new ideas, but new doesn't mean good; monsters pushing each other towards apotheosis can bring out the worst in one another, too.
Origins
The Theseans are a young faction, originating in the 1990s, but they can point to antecedents with similar ideals stretching back centuries. The name is a reference to an old philosophical problem: if you replaced one plank from a ship with a new one, is it still the same ship? What if half that planks have been replaced? What happens when all of them have? How much can a thing change and remain "the same"? Theseans have no answer to this question, but they're excited to explore the possibilities.
Methods
Theseans are thrill-seekers and neophiles, but not without purpose. They're trying to find a new course for the world that will prevent the Contagion from recurring, and to do that they have to push every boundary, try every possibility just to see what'll happen. It's a bit like a collective Great Work, and Contagion is just the occasional Firestorm along the way.
During an actual outbreak, Theseans are willing to dive into the middle of things to understand what's happening. Every strain is something new, after all, and so every outbreak is a chance to learn more. They're also the people to call when you need to get something done quickly and don't much care about collateral damage, and often have a creative solution to a stubborn problem. Their Vector is Realignment.
Members
Unchained Tempter, Promethean Mystics, Necropolitan Krewes, Carthian vampires, Beasts who hunger for Hoards.
References
- CofD: The Contagion Chronicle, p. 23-25
|
Sworn |
Cryptocracy · Jeremiad · Rosetta Society · Ship of Theseus · Zero Hour |
|
False |
|