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# System prepended metadata

title: The Stranger

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# The Stranger

## Introduction

*I wait in the mist.*
*Shackled to this mortal realm.*
*Inescapable.*

*You, of mortal ken.*
*Cloak the light, so I may bloom.*
*Heed the herald call.*

## Main Summary

The Stranger is an ancient entity of Eldritch origin, forced by its fading strength to reside in an Eldritch artifact, the "Totem". Stranded near the station, it calls out to a susceptible individual, who is ensnared in its power and becomes its "Majordomo", bringing it back to the station.

The Majordomo performs various tasks, typically at the Totem, to reawaken the Stranger's power; successful completion of these tasks empowers the Totem and Majordomo. The Totem is destructible (and destruction is the failure condition), but it is invisible in darkness to all but the Majordomo, capable of defending itself, and empowers the Majordomo when they are close to it.

The Majordomo succeeds if the Stranger does; the Stranger's objective is to muster sufficient power to exist free of the Totem.

This can be either a one-person or two-person antagonist; the one-person version has the Stranger remain implicit with the Majordomo being the only player involved, while the two-person version would have the Stranger be player-controlled as well.

## Progression and Power

Similar to some other antagonists, the Stranger's power rises as they acquire certain desirable "resources" (DNA for changelings, blood for vampires, et cetera); *unlike* those antagonists, the Stranger has a much broader taste for acquisitions.

There are two different types of action a Majordomo can perform for the Stranger; Sacrifices and Rituals. Sacrifices grant the Majordomo points to spend on Abilities and Invocations (see later), while Rituals have special conditions and create a massive station-wide effect as well as conferring their own unique persistent buff.

## Sacrifices

The Stranger can be sated with many different gifts, given at the foot of the Totem. However, not all such gifts are equal.

Gifts of food, finery and material wealth to take to the beyond will be honored with a reward, but the amount of such things the Stranger will accept is finite, and the response less enthusiastic.

The heart of an unbeliever grants a considerable reward, and the Stranger will never grow tired of them.

Types of general Sacrifice would likely need to be fairly diverse, in order to avoid the Majordomo having to immediately resort to heart carving.

The points granted by Sacrifices come in two distinct types, which must be spent on their own distinct boons: Abilities and Invocations. Spending either variety of points requires you to be at the Totem.

### Abilities

These grant the Majordomo a permanent ability with a cooldown, like learning a spell. Abilities grow stronger when closer to the Totem (more power or faster cooldowns), but may be used anywhere. These are not necessarily homogenous in point cost, and should provide support for both "stealthy" / misdirection playstyles and "aggressive" / loud playstyles.

**CONCEPTS**

* **VOIDWRATH**: The Majordomo shrieks forbidden words, performing a flurry of void slashes in a direction. These deal direct burn damage and lingering toxin damage, and may inflict tissue necrosis. Proximity to the Totem accelerates cooldown.
* **WRITHING LASH:** The Majordomo quietly targets a location in line of sight. After a brief delay, if the Majordomo is still in line of sight, malevolent tentacles emerge from the floor in the vicinity of that location, striking out at nearby individuals; they remain anchored in position until killed.  Proximity to the Totem adds additional tentacles at longer distances from the target location.
* **GIFT OF THE UNSEEN:** Shake or grab someone, introducing a "potent agent of delirium" (rajaijah) into their system that shall turn them against the disloyal. Proximity to the Totem increases the amount of rajaijah introduced.

### Invocations

Powerful "single shot" abilities that originate from the Totem at the Majordomo's request. These are generally repeatable, unless otherwise noted, and are not necessarily homogenous in point cost.

**CONCEPTS**

* **BEHEST OF THE TWIN:** Creates a second Totem that serves as a further extension of the Stranger's influence. It does not accept tribute, nor serve as a conduit for Invocation, but empowers the Majordomo as the original does; should the prime Totem be destroyed, the Twin can become it, gaining its capabilities. Only one Twin may exist at a time, but should one Totem be destroyed, another Twin can be created.
* **DEVOUR THE FIRMAMENT:** Sends out several tendrils from the Totem, becoming the floors and walls they cross. These tendrils are indestructible, and burn the disloyal who tread upon them; the Majordomo may absorb into them at will, to travel within them freely.
* **THE HARBINGER:** The will of the Stranger courses into the Majordomo, causing them to briefly shed their mortal form; the Majordomo's body stands catatonic and thoughtless, cloaked in darkness as the Totem is, but their soul occupies a powerful being of void energy, capable of slowly shifting through solid walls and using any of the Majordomo's abilities at full strength regardless of its location. When its energy is expended (from using abilities and being damaged), the Majordomo's soul returns to their mortal form, if it still remains.

## Rituals

A distinct form of tribute to the Stranger, Rituals require distinct conditions to be completed in the Totem's presence, and cause a massive station-wide effect when completed as well as granting a unique permanent buff.

### DROWNED IN SHADOW

**Prospective Trigger:** Pool a dark reagent around the Totem while it is in a shadowed room. Light a candle. It is snuffed out.

**Effect:** Sends out a piercing shriek, shattering lights across the station and momentarily cloaking it in a wave of absolute darkness.

**Boon:** The Totem and Majordomo receive a strong healing effect when in darkness.

### KINDLE THE HEARTH

**Prospective Trigger:** Place the Totem on a cable terminus, and inform the Stranger that it may feed. After it drains sufficient power, it disgorges the waste from what it has consumed.

**Effect:** Triggers a radiation event; typically mass radiation, but radiation bursts if mass radiation is already underway. The announcement makes note of the lack of forewarning.

**Boon:** The Totem becomes heavily radioactive. The Majordomo becomes radiation-immune, and gains a new Ability to send out a wave of radiation from themselves.


### THEIR EYES ARE UPON US

**Prospective Trigger:** Reanimate a corpse with Strange Reagent in the presence of the Totem. The Stranger witnesses, and learns.

**Effect:** All corpses on-station that are in the open or in an unlocked container reanimate as non-contagious zombies, hostile to everyone but the Majordomo.

**Boon:** The Majordomo receives a one-time ability to reanimate their own body after death, either leaving it at its current position or bringing it to a remaining Totem.

## The Stranger's Role

Earlier, it was mentioned that two players for this mode is an option, with the Stranger being the optional second player. My general design above is operating on the assumption of one player, but two players could be very cool as well. Here are some thoughts on how a player Stranger might fit into the equation:

* Proximity to the Totem is required for the Stranger; as they grow farther from it, their movement speed slows and their vision constricts. As their power increases, they are able to roam farther and farther without this restriction binding them.
* The Stranger's initial strength is subtle manipulations. Confer with your Majordomo and inform them of impending threats or ways to achieve your ascension, deceive the disloyal with strange sounds to throw them off your trail, whisper dark secrets in the minds of mortals to turn them against each other.
* With increased strength, the Stranger would also unlock certain capabilities, but in a linear fashion instead of the Majordomo's pick-and-choose. Moderate-strength abilities could be things like forcing doors open or shut, subverting feeble robots, or knowledge of artifacts and the ability to activate them freely; high-strength abilities could be direct summoning of hostile entities, or momentary possession of people if they're close enough to the Totem.