Technoarcana of the Ordo Logi
The Datasmiths and Lexmachnics of the Ordo Logi are often the most overlooked members of the Machine Cult - their talents lie not with the handling and creation of machines but rather the understanding and manipulation of data, a far more subtle art then that of their brethren - this is aided by their access to restricted programs, known as Data-djinn
Martian Device - Data-djinn Lucerna
Data-djinn are incredibly rare programs that exist in a digital medium within storage-devices known as Lucerna - these ‘smart’ programs are not bound to physical mediums and when released can travel through the noosphere on whatever tasks they have been programmed for - they are not truly intelligent but their code can change making them dangerous if monitored;
- Djinn-skein: You throw of a noospheric cloud of Data-Djinn used to infiltrate systems, after 15s focusing upon an obviously technological foe within 10m and 'hacking' them you may call Command Override on them.
This may be pushed to;
- Anoint an individual (yourself included) and their wargear with protective data-djinn; until they next Recuperate they may call Resist against up to three Haywire or Command Override calls. Once these uses have been spent they cannot be used again until they Recuperate. You may do this to up to two individuals as well as yourself. You may not use this again until you Recuperate - you may not anoint additional individuals until you have confirmed the return of your protective djinns from those you anointed before.
- Use your data-djinn to perform a techno-exorcism upon a system already infected with Scrapcode in most cases this will take a period of roleplay to purge but in cases of advanced corruption may either be impossible or require coordination with a trained Exorcist if you are not already one.
Rite of Becalming
Known as the Rite Machina Sedatio in high gothic, a standard role that Macroteks and Datasmiths share is in bestilling machines whose animus has become agitated or disrupted - after 5s of roleplay you may calm wargear, or sooth a machine spirit you are interacting with.
- If the machine is an aggressive machine foe played by a member of crew you may instead use the cue Command Override! Be Calmed
Rite of the Djinn-Skien
A Ordo Logi priest can release a djinn into local communications and cogitator networks using both wireless and wired connections to those networks
After 30s of meditation you may do one of the following;
- You may call Scan at vocal range. You may use this up to three times no less than 10s apart before you must Recuperate.
- You may ask a ref if you can, via whatever local networks there are to "scan" for anything connected to those systems or broadcasting signals. This does not provide a direction, only a presence and does not detect well-hidden systems.
Rites Delictum
While data-infiltrators rely heavily on the use of brute force invasion of cogitators and machine spirits while in close range of their targets via the use of brutal carnivore-programs and data-djinn. There are times where the attack must be done from a distance where these attack vectors are not available as they usually require, if not physical interface, then transmitting in the near volume of the target. The Rites Delictum require the data-infiltrator to project their mind into a network in order to defeat protective countermeasures - but they are not without risk, in such a state they are physically disabled and aggressive counter attacks can be damaging to their minds as well as their bodies.
When a character with this rite encounters a protected system that they cannot easily overcome with their other rites then they must attempt this rite to enter it. They will encounter two data-hazards that they need to overcome.
Firewalls are protective layers surrounding a protected system. Every system has a number of these guarding them. If a character wishes to overcome a firewall they must pass a power test with a 75% chance of failure - for each successful test they bypass a single firewall. Up to three characters with this rite may work together, but are considered a single entity. They may redraw this power test once for each of the following circumstances:
- If they Overclock their MIU’s - until the end of the next combat all data-infiltrators involved cannot use Bionic Traits or the Weapon of Old Night while their systems are cooling - this can be done once per infiltration regardless of how many are involved.
- For Each Additional Data-Infiltrator (above 1) contributing to the infiltration
- If an Ordo Logi Tech-Priest passes a Power Test (25% Chance of Success) to use their Data-Djinn - this can be done once per infiltration regardless of how many are involved - if they fail this test they suffer their Feedback Curse.
- If an Ordo Malagra Tech-Priest passes a Power Test (25% Chance of Success) to use their Rites Incursus - this can be done once per infiltration regardless of how many are involved - if they fail this test they suffer their Feedback Curse.
- If an Info-Executioner passes a Power Test (25% Chance of Success) to Disregard the Safety Protocols - this can be done once per infiltration regardless of how many are involved.
In theory a data-infiltration team can infinitely attempt to break down the firewalls protecting a system, but such systems often have more active countermeasures in order to protect them in the form of Lockouts and Glacies-type Data-Countermeasures;
Lockouts are triggered whenever enough power tests are failed for a system to realise it is under attack, they force the shut-down of that system which can sometimes a goal in and of itself for data-infiltrators. There are two forms of Lockout, the first is immediate upon reaching a certain number of failures, the second is timed where the data-infiltrators need to defeat any remaining firewalls before the clock hits 0 - this is not an actual timer, the length of a clock is variable and advances each time a power test is taken.
Glacies programs are triggered after a certain number of Power Failures - a form of aggressive counter-attack data-djinn these cause a Haywire effect on the ‘lead’ data-infiltrator (the one who made the power draw that triggered this) - they cannot take part in the invasion for the next two power draws as they are knocked out.
- However, dangerous and sometimes deadly Black Programs exists, representing more advanced data-djinn or even malevolent entities in digital form, these can do anything from Command Override, to leaving their target Shaken to corrupting the mind and soul, to simply burning out one of the attackers MIU’s with a Sunder effect.
Feedback-Curses
Whenever you fail a power check you suffer the following effect which triggers at an appropriate moment after the return of a Data-djinn program to you;
- Your Data-djinn has returned to you different for its experiences away from the Lucerna. As you attempt to contain it, it goes wild and assaults your systems. You may not make active use of your traits, though you still benefit from passive effects such as increased Willpower/Endurance or effects representing armour or innate toughness that do not require you to make calls or roleplay actions to benefit from. You may still make melee attacks in self defence, but these must be uncalled. This can be cleared with the Rite of Becalming otherwise it lasts 30s. You may not use your powers until you Recuperate.
If you fail a power test MORE than once then the length of the effect increases by 10s for each failure you may spread these or take them all on one.