Memetic Virus

[Mage Ash]

In the Drakh book there is a section on page 52 about the Memetic Virus created by the Shadows and now in Drakh hands. And while, personally, I beleive that the Techno-Mages should have access to it officially (I've already given it to them unofficially), the fact that rules exist to cover it is cool.

My question is this, has anybody on this site created more examples of the mimetic virus? I'm wondering if anybody has used the rules. Any types of memetic viruses would work, but I'm truly looking for examples that could be utilized by the techno-mages.

 

[Kizarvexis]

In the Drakh book there is a section on page 52 about the Memetic Virus created by the Shadows and now in Drakh hands. And while, personally, I beleive that the Techno-Mages should have access to it officially (I've already given it to them unofficially), the fact that rules exist to cover it is cool.

My question is this, has anybody on this site created more examples of the mimetic virus? I'm wondering if anybody has used the rules. Any types of memetic viruses would work, but I'm truly looking for examples that could be utilized by the techno-mages.

The nanovirus that the Technomage created in the Crusade ep "The Memory of War" was not as complicated as the nanovirus the Drakh released on Earth in the movie "A Call to Arms". So, if the Memetic Virus is the one the Drakh released in ACtA, then the Technomage version should at the minimum require an on planet control device. We know that the final phase of the Technomage virus killed everyone in a few days, but how long was the setup to get everyone on the planet infected?

Kizarvexis

 

[Mage Ash]

In the Drakh book there is a section on page 52 about the Memetic Virus created by the Shadows and now in Drakh hands. And while, personally, I beleive that the Techno-Mages should have access to it officially (I've already given it to them unofficially), the fact that rules exist to cover it is cool.

My question is this, has anybody on this site created more examples of the mimetic virus? I'm wondering if anybody has used the rules. Any types of memetic viruses would work, but I'm truly looking for examples that could be utilized by the techno-mages.

The nanovirus that the Technomage created in the Crusade ep "The Memory of War" was not as complicated as the nanovirus the Drakh released on Earth in the movie "A Call to Arms". So, if the Memetic Virus is the one the Drakh released in ACtA, then the Technomage version should at the minimum require an on planet control device. We know that the final phase of the Technomage virus killed everyone in a few days, but how long was the setup to get everyone on the planet infected?

Kizarvexis

A memetic virus and a nanovirus are two completely separate things. Your completely right that a Technomage nanovirus might be less than a Shadow version.

But a memetic virus is a thought virus, it is a insidious method of causing a person and a society to fixate on one particular thing. It was made entirely by the Shadows and was never used by them as its tenement to mind control, which ancient pacts between the Shadows and Vorlons forbid.

When the Shadows left they gave some of the Memtic viruses to the Drakh, but it is in an enificcient form and it is something they do not truly understand.

The Techno-Mage, on the otherhand, have things like:

"Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever, seven words to make them go without pain, how to say goodbye to a friend who is dying, how to be poor, how to be rich, how to rediscover dreams when the world has stolen them from you."

Something like Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever could be considered a Memetic Virus. It is a method of changing the thoughts of the target in a direct way.

And while I understand that some might take the comments by Elric in the 2nd season episode Geometry of Shadows as hyperbole and literation, I take it seriously - that the Shadows gave to the Techno-Mages the ability to use their Memetic Viruses.

 

[Kizarvexis]

I do think that Elric and Galen meant that ""Fourteen words to make someone fall in love with you forever" was more along the lines of having the knowledge to get someone to do what you want them to do. Galen says as much in "The Path of Sorrows" after goading Dureena into tears.

But in the Centauri trilogy, Kane forces Mariel to fall in love with Vir, so there must be some way to control minds and the Memetic Virus sounds just like the way to do it.

Kizarvexis

 

[Yrtalien]

In the game I am currently running (it tweaks the B5 history a bit... I wanted my players to feel like heroes as much as the B5 crew). A Centauri PC is currently having to deal with a Meme that is spreading throughout Centauri space, it is locking all telepaths into a dark vision they can not look away from... It's even worse for the prophetesses (sp?) who simply continue to relive a dark future event over and over.

The reason behind it is (as the players are discovering) that the centauri precognitive ability was not created by the Vorlons it was a natural product of their evolution... the prophetesses are more able to work with their machines than other telepaths. The prophetesses are being gathered and wired together to be slaved to the Eye, in order to enhance the Eyes abilty to guide.

The meme began with one Drakh getting a telepath to scan him, that telepath carried the meme to others, and so on, and so on. At this point in the story the players are having to deal with the fact any telepath that scans (accidentally or otherwise) a carrier, or scans someone who has had a mssg sent to them by a telepath, is in danger... they still havent found the Drakh who carries this meme.

I'm not sure of how I'm going to let them deal with this whole mess. In an earlier game the Technomage found out about an area near Dilgar space that the Psi Corp was studying (he does have a nose for other people business) anyway in that area the Mindscap is wild and imprinted on it is the Death of several Dilgar at the hands of a psychically powerful race they couldn't identify (the Mindriders from the Lurkers Guide to Telepaths). I think my player is thinking of trying to ask them for help... good times!

Memes are fun. Memes are great. They are also scarey as hell. I would be very careful before I allowed a player access to one. Should the technomages have access to a powerful meme? Sure if you think so, just keep in mind that thing should be hell to stop if let out, otherwise it loses all its flavor.

 

[Mick]

As scary as hell?, think of the “natural” memes running around to day, the one create by right/left wing groups and so call “holy men” and think of the ability to create your own without level of error they have.

Scary as hell?, far more far more

 

[Mage Ash]

As scary as hell?, think of the “natural” memes running around to day, the one create by right/left wing groups and so call “holy men” and think of the ability to create your own without level of error they have.

Scary as hell?, far more far more

But think about it, what about the techno-mages and the power they wield isn't scary as hell. They can destroy entire ships or worlds with but one use of their power.

Them having access to memetic viruses makes a lot of sense when one considers all the other powers and technologies that the Shadows gave to their minions.

Yrtalien,

Sorry for not responding to your post, but all I could think of saying was wow, and totally cool.

 

[Mick]

How it would work, if you going to open this box then I think would work the same was it would work to day but the techno-mage would have greater control over it make up.
Have a look at influence rules. They could be used something on the lines of number point per level of the Techno-mage.