"We are the True Knot,” they responded. “What is tied may never be untied."
The True knot
The True Knot are a cabal/tribe of psychic vampires who move throughout
the country (and have done so for centuries) seeking psychically
enhanced children whose abilities and powers have manifested. The True
Knot uses its seekers to discover a child with such power and move to
acquire the child, draining their psychic energy or ’steam’ from the victim while torturing them to increase the steam
output. The True Knot members feed on this energy, enhancing their
abilities, restoring their youth, and allowing them a kind of
immortality. The True Knot has the following abilities/attributes:
Psychic Vampirism: The True Knot are an old clan of
psychic vampires who have existed in the United States before the
Revolutionary War and have remained active. By draining steam
from victims who are being tortured or from great scenes of disaster,
and by doing so restore their vitality, youth, and vigor. The True Knot
members do not age or are harmed in traditional ways, but instead rely
on their supply of steam either through finding sources or the bottled
steam they’ve collected from victims over the years. True Knot members
have three sets of FASE: Based on their current or ‘normal’ levels of
ability, the reduced levels in which they have not taken steam, and their upper levels in which they take great quantities of steam.
True Knot members begin to age to their true ages after going 2 weeks
without Steam, becoming more susceptible to normal infirmities and
conditions. By week 3, the True Knot members suffer penalties to the
FASE and Health, and by one month they must begin to make daily Psyche
and Endurance FEATS to remain active. The benefits for being a member of
the True Knot is as follows:
- Increased FASE and P: A member of the True Knot which has fed gains +1cs - +2cs to their FASE while they are fed, maximum of Rm (30) for Fighting and Agility, Maximum of Ex (20) for Strength, Maximum Am (50) for Endurance, and a bonus to their Psyche of +1cs.
- Immortality*: When a person is brought into the True Knot, they are turned into a member of the Knot in an elaborate ritual in which they may not survive. Should the new member survive, they will remain as youthful as they were when they were first embraced by the True Knot, remaining healthy and with vigor at that point as long as a supply of steam is provided. The immortality is not true immortality as members of the True Knot are still susceptible to certain common diseases (such as measles) which can kill them if not treated. Terrible wounds are healed through steam, and so long as a supply is available, the members of the True Knot can survive for centuries.
- Enhanced psychic abilities: Members of the True Knot are themselves gifted usually with some form of psychic power – such as psionic detection, Mental Invisibility, or the like. These abilities are further enhanced on their embrace by the True Knot, increasing the ranks by at least +1cs. Rose the Hat’s abilities were formidable before her time with the Knot and only increased with her becoming a member.
- Group Connection: Members of the True Knot are connected with one another psychically, able to read each other’s surface thoughts and situations, as well as determine when a member has met with danger or deadly incidents up to half a continent away. The connection between the True knot is stronger with those who have abilities that are more dedicated to psionic detection, and Rose that Hat’s ability is great enough to determine the status of the members of the True Knot directly with her or feel the destruction of members and be able to identify them with certainty and clarity (As she did with Crow Daddy). This connection is considered Mn (75) for the purposes of sensing members and communication but only for True Knot members.
- Spirit Storage: Through undefined means, the True Knot can draw steamfrom a victim and store it in pressurized storage tanks which are kept with Rose the Hat. One compressed tank can hold the steam of one individual, and the True Knot believes they have up to 30 tanks at any one time to get them through ‘the lean times.
In Plain Sight: The True Knot moves in plain sight as caravans of campers and RV travelers, as unobtrusive as possible. The True Knot has mastered the ability not to stand out, and to spot the members or their activities takes incredible effort. Combined with their resources, the True Knot owns several campgrounds across the US and utilize routes established to avoid detection. Even when the suggestion may be made that perhaps something is amiss, the True Knot will only be vaguely remembered. This isn’t necessarily a true power, but it is incredible creepy how easily they can move through society, and any check trying to detect them or perceive their activities would require a Rm (30) intensity FEAT.
Resources: Although the True Knot appears as not having much money individually, they actually possess collectively Mn (75) resources, having enough money, property, and legal protection to provide them with the necessary covers and ability to afford things without being questioned. In addition, The True Knot’s resource go back centuries and not just in money – they own many businesses, services, and corporations which have a broad range of things. The True Knot can with enough time procure military grade equipment, cutting edge technology, and even drugs and chemicals not available in the common market simply by moving a few resources and setting up necessary dead-drops. The True Knot is so adept at hiding their activities and resources that it is very doubtful even they are aware of how much they really have. The True Knot owns countless properties throughout the continental US, Canada, and Mexico (including the remnants of the Overlook Hotel).
Contacts:
The True Knot has a front man who usually handles all connections to the normal world (Or ‘Rubes’ as they refer to anyone not in the True Knot).
Limitations:
Despite their formidable nature, the True Knot has several key limitations:
- Dying and Death: The True Knot is not truly immortal, and can die either through diseases they may not have been immunized against when not a member of the not or through damage. Dying for a member of the True Knot is incredibly painful, as they begin to ‘cycle’ between fading away and remaining cohesive. When a member of the True Knot suffers a kill result or suffers a loss of Health to 0, they not only begin the dying process but they cannot stabilize without steam and suffer an additional -1cs Endurance Loss each round. While they are in the dying process, they will begin to fade out of existence (leaving their clothing and items but seemingly to just ‘compress’ into nothingness. The True Knot member must make a Psyche FEAT at -2cs to remain conscious during the event or immediately suffer another loss of one Endurance Rank. While cycling, the True Knot member is incapable of physical action but can speak or react. Cycling is a painful action and is one of the few things that the members of the True Knot fear.
- Absolute Leadership: Rose the Hat rules the True Knot and ultimately controls the True Knot’s power, access to steam, and resources. Those who leave the Knot under Rose the Hat’s leadership are considered ‘cut off’ and probably wouldn’t survive long without the ability to locate additional steam. In addition, Rose’s obsessions drive the focus of the True Knot, which can be on occasion incredibly self-destructive.
- Vulnerability to Diseases: The True Knot is incredibly susceptible to diseases like measles, which gains a +2cs to infect and debilitate members of the Knot. As many members existed prior to vaccinations, they would be extraordinarily at risk, especially if depleted by lack of steam.
- Secrecy: The True Knot value secrecy above all things and would go to great lengths to both avoid detection and revelation. The True Knot is not above using every method at their disposal to silence someone who knows anything about them, but prefer to handle such things quietly.
- Attracted to Tragedy: The True Knot seems to be attracted to tragedy or upcoming tragic events. Partially due to the need for steam, and partially due to perhaps connection to areas drenched in violence. The True Knot is always present in the US at scenes where disasters happen.