Into the Labyrinth: The Madness of the Labyrinth (Doppelgangers and Astral Parasites)

Those who go into the Labyrinth sometimes come out... changed.  They may gain great psychic powers and a malevolent hunger, or return with memories of alternate timelines and murderous intent.  They call this the Madness of the Labyrinth, but these often come from specific monsters or experiences found in the Labyrinth.

Astral Parasite

The Astral Parasite is not unique to the Labyrinth, and can be found on non-labyrinthine worlds rich in twisted psionic energy, such as Moros, but they tend to be quite common in the more corrupted parts of the Labyrinth, and those who go into the Labyrinth seeking to unlock their psychic potential often mistakenly return with one.

An Astral Parasite is, functionally, a sort of Broken Communion ghost. It is an insubstantial collection of twisted psionic energy that seeks sustenance from others to continue its existence. When someone enters its region of influence, it will seek to gain some sort of “grip” on the target. This generally requires some sort of action on the part of the person, such as reading an incantation carved onto a labyrinthine wall, or touching an artifact.  Some Labyrinth Cults worship a Parasite or collection of Parasites, and will capture or persuade new hosts and invoke a ceremony to press a Parasite into the host. Astral Parasites that gain a foothold on someone often use them to spread word of their power, so that those who hear the legends might seek out the same artifact or incantation and become haunted by the Parasite.

Once a parasite has “infected” a target, it can “inhabit” them, residing within the protective barrier of their mind. The target becomes a Twisted Psionic Energy generator, which provides sanctuary for the parasite, and applies a -2 to the victim’s psionic skill rolls, and treats all failures as critical failures; this does not apply to any powers that the astral parasite has, which makes the victim more dependent on the parasite. The parasite cannot directly “possess” the target, but they can influence their emotions , eavesdrop on their thoughts, and even communicate directly with them.

An Astral Parasite is visible to anyone who investigates the target’s aura (via Psychic Healing) or those who have True Sight. Most who see them describe them as a malign presence, or a wicked shadow that overlaps the target, like a malevolent after image or aura. Skilled physicians might deduce the presence of an Astral Parasite by rolling either Esoteric Healing or the lower of Diagnosis and Expert Skill (Psionics). The Astral Parasite can be damaged by attacks that damage insubstantial beings, but it exists within the target, so such attacks would necessarily target the host as well. They can also be driven out with Exorcism. They tend to react poorly when their host is on drugs like Blocker and Monobloc.

Astral Parasites want sustenance. All Parasites are psychic vampires. If their host touches and holds a victim, the parasite will drain energy from the victim. If the host does not do this at least once a day, the Parasite draws energy from the host. This inevitably kills the host, so most parasites seek the aggrandizement of their victims. Most parasites command considerable psychic power, and will deploy it on behalf of their host. Some psychics aware of the nature of Astral Parasites will deliberately seek them out and strike up pacts with them, allowing themselves to be inhabited in exchange for power, working on the assumption that, unlike all the rest of the Parasite’s victims, they can control it.

ST: 0	HP: 10	Speed: 5
DX: 10	Will: 12	Move: 5
IQ: 8	Per: 12
HT: 10	FP: NA (10)	SM: +0
Dodge: 8	Parry: NA	DR: 0

Fright Check: +0

Haunt (12): While the target touches an artifact or other host inhabited by the Astral Parasite, the Parasite may roll a contest of Will vs the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes inhabited. They become a Twisted Energy Generator (everyone within 2 yards has -2 to all psychic skill rolls, and all failures with psychic abilities count as critical failures) and becomes the parasite’s Puppet. This lasts until the parasite is exorcised.

Psychic Drain (12): Against a willing target or someone thoroughly subdued by the host, the Astral Parasite rolls a Quick Contest of its Will vs the target’s Will per second. On a success, the target loses 1 HP and the Parasite regains either 1 HP or 1 FP. This is a ghostly psychic power! The Parasite may always do this to their host and gain a +4 to their rolls when doing so!

Sway Emotion (16): The Parasite attempts to manipulate the mind of their host. They roll Will+4 in a Quick Contest with their host’s Will. If they succeed, they may afflict the host with a particular emotion (this can be more specific than “anger,” it can be “anger at someone” or an “angry desire to do something.”) They cannot force their host to act, but they can strongly cajole them with emotions. The Parasite may apply a penalty to roll; for every -1 they apply, they may attempt to change or alter up to -5 points of the host’s mental disadvantages provided the target gives in to the emotional desire. Most Parasites slowly drive their target mad; those who are exorcised will revert to normal in time, but some may need extensive therapy.

Traits: Broken Communion Ghost. Draining (Psychic Energy);Energy Reserves (10). Ghostly Speech (Puppet Only); Puppet; Selfish (12); Unnatural Appetite (Psychic Energy; 12).

Notes: Alien. They can be negotiated with, but they generally prefer to hide their presence as much as possible. If uncovered, they’re generally willing to jump to a more powerful host, but some might be skeptical of the motivations involved.

The statistics above represent an Astral Parasite “alone,” but Astral Parasites are rarely alone. They usually inhabit some poor, unfortunate mortal and afflict them with visions and hungers. Characters with an Astral Parasite gain the following traits for -15 points:

Traits: Ally (100% points; Sympathetic -50%; Exotic Powers +50% Always) [20]; Draining (Psychic Energy) [-10]; Duty (15 or less; Involuntary, Extremely Hazardous) [-25]

It also represents a typical example of an Astral Parasite.  More powerful ones might exist.  See Broken Communion ghosts for more.

An Astral Parasite can be removed via Exorcism or by attacks on the target. These attacks must harm insubstantial beings, in which case, they’ll also harm the parasite within the target. The death of the target reduces the Astral Parasite to 0 HP, but this might not kill it; if the Parasite is still within a Twisted Psychic Energy zone it may persist, and some will linger to haunt the corpse, especially if it is not properly buried. Otherwise, it will try to find some way to return to its original haunt, or try to find some way to “hibernate” in a piece of psychically resonant gear associated with the body (“Cursing” the item).

Astral Parasites will twist the minds of those they inhabit, typically -5 points at a time. Especially in the case of a PC, use the normal Mind Control rules for resisting commands of changes that are “core” to the character. If the Parasite is removed, treat these changes as temporary and allow them to “heal” at a reasonable rate (a point per day might be a reasonable value, and might be sped up with therapy; if the GM needs to process to go quicker, he may arbitrarily speed up the process). Players should be involved in the slow dissolution of their characters and help pick and choose the disadvantages their characters are gaining (or are being swapped out).

Astral Parasites concern themselves primarily with maintaining sustenance. Once they have inhabited a target, they will drive their host to infiltrate nearby groups, hiding its presence until it’s ready to strike. It will drive the host to isolate individuals and then it will seek to capture them and keep them so it can feed off of them at will. An Astral Parasite needs to drain at least 2 HP per day, and most people only heal 1 HP per day, so it needs at least two people to blunt its hunger. If it has access to more than this, it may gorge itself on additional energy.

In combat, note that the Astral Parasite is a separate character from its host. Both the parasite and host get to act independently! The host might seem to use the Parasite’s psychic powers, such as gesturing at a target while exerting themselves, but the Astral Parasite itself decides whether it will act or not. Most Astral Parasites have additional psychic powers. Select one power below and select one or more abilities.

Additional Astral Parasite Powers

Astral Parasites tend to have one or more powers in a specif Psi Ability.  A few, rare powerful ones (typically with more Will and Energy Reserves as well) might have more than one psychic power.

Electrokinesis

• Electric Lash (12): The Parasite can blast lightning through their host. This is an attack that deals 6d-6 (5) burn sur and treats “metallic” armor as DR 1. Characters struck by the attack must roll HT at -1 per 2 damage inflicted or be Stunned. Treat this as a melee attack with reach 20.
• EK Shield: The Parasite protects its host with a field that provides DR 50 against all energy attacks. The Parasite may make a “Power-Block” at half Will+3 (or 9 or less) to double this DR. On a failure, no DR is applied against the attack.

Psychokinesis

• TK-Grab: the Parasite may reach out up to 20 yards away and exert up to ST 25 on targets; this is a BL of 125, and can lift at most a half ton. This is strong enough to hurl a human-sized target up to 10 yards at inflict 2d+2 cr damage while doing so. Remember, targets defend against TK Grab grapples at -4, unless they can See Invisible.
• Tactile TK: The host gains +20 Lifting and Striking ST. For an average human, this increases their BL to 180 and allows them to lift and hurl a human-scale target 20 yards for 3d+3 damage. It also increases their thrust and swing to 3d/5d+2.
• TK Leap: The character can jump ×8 normal distances and reduces the distance of all falls by 5 yards. This allows an average human character to jump 4-5 yards straight up, and 18-20 yards across.

Telepathy

• Instill Fear (12): If the target is within 20 yards, the Parasite may initiate a Quick Contest of Wills with a target (the target may use Mind Shields as normal). If the target fails, they must roll on the Fright Check table at a penalty equal to their margin of failure. If the target succeeds, the Parasite may not use this ability on them again for the next 24 hours.
• Mental Blow(12): Roll a quick contest of Will against the target (there are no range penalties, but most Parasites won’t attack until the target is within 20 yards; the target may use any Mental Shields they have). If the target fails, they are Stunned.
• Sensory Overload (12): Roll a Quick Contest of the Parasite’s Will against the target’s Will. The Parasite has no range penalties (but most won’t attack over 20 yards away) and the target may apply any Mental Shield modifiers they have. If the Parasite succeeds, the target Hallucinates for as long as the Parasite concentrates.

Labyrinthine Doppelganger

Those who live for long enough on Labyrinthine worlds warn their kin not to venture into the labyrinth unless necessary for fear of “Labyrinth madness.” Some who go in return changed. And sometimes, those who return find themselves hunted down by themselves, strange doppelgangers who look very similar to them but are different in some way, and who kill and replace their doubles.

The origins of labyrinthine doppelgangers are unclear, but the most likely explanation is the fact that the Labyrinth wends its way through multiple parallel timelines. “Time Ghosts” who come from otherwhens, possible worlds that are not, may impinge upon our reality, stealing some temporal “realness” from victims they find in the Labyrinth. Some of these are doppelgangers, and when facing a time ghost who finds some way to permanently manifest, one might find themselves looking into their own face.

Doppelgangers very closely resemble their twins, but they have very different memories and are marked differently by their unique histories. A lovely Sabine socialite might find herself confronted by a scarred version of herself from a hellish timeline. Their motivations vary. Some seem as surprised as their twin when they discover one another, but many seem to expect it, and move quickly to murder their twin, and then take over their lives. Many also have an obsession to prevent some particular event from occurring.

Doppelgangers are effectively just variations on their counterpart, rather than terrible monsters. They have no unique strengths or no particular weaknesses. However, they resemble Time Shades in many ways and share a fear of Glance Hounds and the temporal damage resistance of the Skairos. They’re not prevented from leaving the Labyrinth as many Skairosian creatures or Time Shades are, but they only seem to appear at all when someone enters the Labyrinth. Akashic Oracles call this “approaching the mirror” as a Doppelganger only seems to manifest for those who enter the Labyrinth, and their appearance is more likely and their power greater the deeper one goes into the Labyrinth. If the doppelganger manages to kill their double, they lose their Doppelganger traits: they no longer dread Glance Hounds or enjoy Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction). They may still have false memories and may still have slightly different features.

Basic Doppelganger

This is a default Doppelganger. They tend to believe they are the “real one,” but they have a strange disconnection with reality and remember events that never occurred. Once they realize they’re in another timeline, many gain an Obsession with stopping some particular event or killing some particular target. They also often seek to replace their twin, but this is not necessarily the case.
A Basic Doppelganger is more of a curiosity than a monster. For more monstrous Doppelgangers, see below.
Traits: Delusion (“I am real, my twin is fake”); Delusion (False Memories); Detect (Temporal Disturbance); Dread (Glance Hound or Glance Hound Imagery); Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Temporal); Mistaken Identity (Double); Secret (Doppelganger).

Brutal Doppelganger

A “Brutal Doppelganger” represents a Doppelganger-as-monster. They’re fixated on murder and often come from more horrific timelines. In addition to the normal vulnerabilities and resiliences of a Doppelganger, they’re absolutely obsessed with killing their double, and won’t hesitate to kill anyone else who gets in their way. They’re “better” than their twin: stronger, faster and tougher, and can shrug off minor wounds and are very difficult to kill. If they can isolate their targets, they may take their time torturing them in order to get information, or just for pleasure. These tend to be more common as “combat encounters” of strange “mirror enemies” of combat oriented PCs.
Attributes: +2 ST; +2 DX; +2 HT;
Secondary Traits: +3 HP
Traits: Reduce appearance by one level (to a maximum of Ugly); Bad Temper (12); Bloodlust (12); Callous; Combat Reflexes; Delusion (“I am real, my twin is fake”); Delusion (False Memories); Detect (Temporal Disturbance); Dread (Glance Hound or Glance Hound Imagery); Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Temporal); Ghostly Movement (Horror p. 20); High Pain Threshold; Hard to Kill +3; Mistaken Identity (Double); Obsession (“Kill my double and replace them”); Recovery; Sadism (12); Secret (Doppelganger);

Skills: Acting IQ+1; Brawling DX+2; Hidden Lore (Labyrinth) IQ-1; Interrogation IQ+1; Stealth DX+2;

Charming Doppelganger

A “Charming” Doppelganger, like a Brutal Doppelganger, is a monster intent on killing its double and willing to kill anyone else that gets in their way. However, where the Brutal Doppelganger simply tries to murder his way to his target, the Charming Doppelganger tries to fool people into believing they are who they claim to be, or otherwise gain their trust. Once trust has been achieved, they’ll begin picking of their enemies one by one, using their superior acting and deception to isolate targets, and then murder them quietly.
Attributes: +1 ST; +2 DX; +1 IQ; +2 HT;
Secondary Traits: +4 HP
Traits: Improve Appearance by one level (to a maximum of Beautiful or Handsome).
Additionally, add the following traits: Callous; Charisma 1; Combat Reflexes; Bloodlust (12); Delusion (“I am real, my twin is fake”); Delusion (False Memories); Detect (Temporal Disturbance); Dread (Glance Hound or Glance Hound Imagery); Foresight (Betrayal); Honest Face; Mistaken Identity (Double); Obsession (“Kill my double and replace them”); Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Temporal); Secret (Doppelganger); Serendipity; Smooth Operator 2.
Skills: Acting IQ+4; Fast-Talk IQ+2; Hidden Lore (Labyrinth) IQ-1;

Strange Doppelganger

Not all doppelgangers are monsters villains. This represents the sort of Doppelganger who is a “lost soul,” who finds their current situation overwhelming and don’t really understand those around them. They do little to hid their origins, though they may eventually realize the necessity of it. They have greater insights into events thanks to their origin in an alternate timeline: this means they tend to “get lucky” or guess well. On the other hand, weirdness haunts them and chases them, and when they realize the true state of things, they’ll recognize that they can “do something” to prevent some terrible event. Rather than commit murder, many Strange Doppelgangers will instead seek to team up with their double to “set things right,” though they might murder if it’s strictly necessary to prevent whatever terrible event from occuring.
Attributes: +1 ST; +2 DX; +2 IQ;
Secondary Traits: +4 HP
Traits: Clueless; Confused (12); Delusion (“I am real, my twin is fake”); Delusion (False Memories); Detect (Temporal Disturbance); Dread (Glance Hound or Glance Hound Imagery); Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction 2; Temporal); Intuition; Luck (Extreme); Mistaken Identity (Double); Obsession (Prevent some tragic event); Secret (Doppelganger); Serendipity 1; Weirdness Magnet.
Skills: Hidden Lore (Labyrinth) IQ+2;