Species and Powers

Species	Gifts	Hex	Mysticism	Psychic Powers	Sorcery	Pheremone Control
Human	Y	Y	Y¹	Y¹	Y	N
Skinwalker	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N
C. plexus	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y

Humans

In Parallel 34.21.12, only humans are psychics, and only humans have the ability to contact other-dimensional beings, a requirement for Sorcery. Humans also have access to Hex Magic and Mysticism.

The "Lycanthropes" of 34.21.12 are not influenced by the cycle of the moon, and the only currently known variant is Alligator. This form of lycanthropy is genetic or represents a sub-species of human; all are born into Skinwalker families.

Skinwalkers are known to exist, although outside of the Vattmarch they are mostly thought to be the result of a curse or dark Sorcery.

In the Vattmarch, Skinwalkers have been present since Scandinavian and local Creole culture blended. It is unknown whether the Vikings brought it with them, but since only Gator 'Walkers are known, it is suspected to originate in the New World. Skinwalkers are rare outside of the Vattmarch.

The Lycanthropy skill is called Skinwalk in 34.21.12; so, a Skinwalker Skinwalks (or just 'Walks) into and out of their animal form.

Skinwalker Powers

Skinwalker characters get 4 extra characteristic points to distribute across STR, CON, DEX, and POW.
Skinwalkers get the Skinwalk Skill, starting at CON + POW. This can be increased during character creation with both cultural and bonus points but cannot start higher than 50%. Skinwalk Intensity is Skinwalk/10.
Skinwalkers have a Feral Form.
Skinwalkers have Bloodlust.
Skinwalkers get the Creature Power Night Sight
- Treat partial darkness as illuminated and dark-ness as partial darkness
Skinwalkers get rapid healing:
- Minor Wounds: Hours
- Serious Wounds: Days
- Major Wounds: Weeks
Skinwalkers can learn Hex and Mysticism.
Skinwalkers cannot learn Sorcery or Psychic Powers.

Skinwalker Bloodlust

If the 'Walker is attacked or threatened with lethal violence while in feral form, they must make a Hard Skinwalk roll to avoid attacking the threat.
When encountering someone they possess a Hate Passion towards, if this person acts at all hostile or disrespectful, the 'Walker feels an overwhelming urge to attack. To resist this urge, 'Walkers can make a Skinwalk roll, opposed by their Passion against this individual.

Skinwalker Feral Form and the Skinwalk Skill

It costs 2 Power Points to invoke the Feral Form, and requires a successful Skinwalk roll. The transformation takes 1 turn (1 Action Point if in combat).

The Skinwalker Feral Form is not a total transformation - until Skinwalk Intensity reaches 9. At that point, it is possible to transform completely into the 'Walker's animal form. Once Skinwalk Intensity reaches 9 (81%+), the player should roll STR, CON, and DEX for their Full Feral Form from the table below, and note those characteristics for use when 'Walked into that form.

Claws and bite in the Partial Feral Form inflict appropriate damage:

SIZ	Claws	Bite
1-10	1d3	1d4
11-20	1d4	1d6
21-30	1d6	1d8
31-40	1d8	1d10
41-50	1d10	1d12

The Partial Feral Form grants one step increase in Damage Modifier, +1 Armor Points in all locations, and +2 meters of movement.

Starting at Intensity 4, Skinwalkers can incorporate metals into their Feral Form bodies if they are in skin-to-material contact when they Skinwalk. This gives them the following benefits at each level (additive, in other words at Intensity 9 a 'Walker gets a total of +4 AP and +4 points of damage w/claws and bite, assuming enough metal is brought along on the 'Walk).:

Intensity	Benefit in Feral Form
4	+2 points of damage w/claws and bite
6	+2 AP hardened skin
8	+2 points of damage w/claws and bite
9+	+2 AP hardened skin

Note that a nominal amount of metal must be used for each point of Intensity. For level 4, a large Bowie knife would generally be enough metal for the benefit. For level 6, two large crowbars or a sword would suffice... etc. Use your judgement and make a good case for the GM.

At Intensity 9, a Skinwalker is capable of a complete transformation - while Skinwalked to their animal form, they would be indistinguishable from a normal animal of that form (if only relying on normal vision).

Full Feral Form Alligator Stats

Stat	Value
STR	2d6 + 10
CON	2d6 + 12
SIZ	2d6 + 28
DEX	2d6 + 9

Weapon	Damage
Jaws	1d10 + 2d6
Tail	1d8 + 2d6

Cordyceps Plexus (C. plexus, C. plexii)

C. plexus is a species of sentient parasitic fungi. Humans are their preferred hosts, although there are rumors that any sizable mammal can support a C. plexus. The fungus becomes a symbiote with its host, merging consciousness and personality.

Most often, hosting a C. plexus is voluntary. The fungi have a belief in mutual benefit and do not force themselves on unwilling hosts. Somewhat like legends of vampires, there are many people who desire living well beyond their years, with a romanticized notion of what "living" means in that scenario. Cults and other organizations exist where people make themselves available to host a C. plexus symbiote.

C. plexii are long lived, slowing the aging of their hosts to a rough maximum of 250 years. When a C. plexus infects its first host, it takes on most of that person's personality (called Imprinting), making that person not quite immortal but much longer lived than most humans. When it comes to the ability to migrate to a new host and retain most of the symbiote's/host's personality, a form of immortality is suggested.

The situation with a mature C. plexus migrating to a new host is nuanced. Since the fungi's personality stays largely intact after Imprinting, infecting a new host means in some sense that the new host "dies". Anecdotally, this is rare. Stories tell that usually the donor body is someone in a coma or otherwise brain dead. The truth around this is not clear, but there are C. plexii known to be 800 years or older. They haven't been very open on the subject.

C. plexii were originally named C. ganglia, but a prominent C. plexus writer suggested that they were more properly called "plexus", that is, a network of ganglion nerve structures.

Their origin is unknown, but C. plexii appear in all recorded history. Older, more powerful C. plexii are known as "Cords"; lesser or younger C. plexii are called "Threads". Cord alliances are known to exist for protection and cooperation but it is not known whether there is an agenda beyond this.

C. plexus Powers

C. plexus characters start by rolling baseline human characteristics.

C. plexii get 5 additional characteristic points to distribute as desired.
C.plexii get tougher as they age. Every 20 years of age from the date of Imprinting they gain 1 Armor Point from increasingly tough fibrous flesh (age within a single host).
C.plexii get stronger as they age. Every 30 years of age from the date of Imprinting they gain 1 point of Strength (age within a single host).
C.plexii can spend 10 Power Points for an extra Action Point, twice per day.
C. plexii can modify Skill difficulty grades; the effects depend on their age (total age, not just age within a single host):
- Up to 50 years: 1 level for 5 Power Points
- 50 - 199 years: 2 levels for 7 Power Points
- 200+ years: 3 levels for 10 Power Points
C. plexii can augment their Damage Modifier; the effects depend on their age (total age, not just age within a single host):
- Up to 50 years: 1 level for 5 Power Points
- 50 - 199 years: 2 levels for 7 Power Points
- 200+ years: 3 levels for 10 Power Points
C. plexii can learn Hex.
C. plexii cannot learn Sorcery, Psychic Powers, or Mysticism. A human with any of these powers loses them as soon as the C. plexus Imprints.

Pheremone Control

C. plexii can generate and emit powerful pheremones that, when applied to humans' skin through touch, affect the recipients similarly to Disease and Poison (Mythras 3rd Printing, page 75). Potency is equal to the character's Pheremone Skill. Duration is equal to one tenth of the Pheremone Skill in minutes unless otherwise noted. The following effects are available through Pheremone Control.

Roll	Pheremone	Duration	Resistance	Effects
1	Agony		Willpower	See reference.
2	Asphyxiation		Endurance	1d4 rounds onset. Asthmatic (i.e., not total respiratory failure). See description.
3	Blindness	1d4 minutes	Endurance	Immediate. Victim must roll each minute or be blinded.
4	Confusion		Willpower	Victim cannot use any knowledge, communication or magic skill.
5	Deafness	1d4 minutes	Endurance	Immediate. Victim must roll each minute or be deaf.
6	Exhaustion		Endurance	Immediate. Victim gains an additional level of Fatigue.
7	Mute		Endurance	Immediate. Victim is unable to speak.
8	Hallucination	1d4 minutes	Willpower	1d4 rounds onset. See description.
9	Nausea		Willpower	Immediate. See description.
10	Paralysis	1d4 minutes	Endurance	Immediate. Whole body paralysis. See description.
11	Suggestion	1d4 minutes	Willpower	1d4 rounds onset. See description below.
12	Unconscious		Endurance	Immediate. See description.

Suggestion Pheremone

The Suggestion Pheremone works a bit like truth serum; for the duration of effect, a victim must resist each question using Willpower. The victim will remember the discussion - it does not cloud memory or confuse the victim. If the victim succeeds in their Willpower roll, they may freely lie in answer to that question. For the duration, the victim will not attempt to flee or physically resist, but if left alone they may act normally.

Others

Currently, other species (Vampires, Half-Fae, Shifters, others) are not part of Parallel 34.21.12.

This could change at any time.

Please see the note on historical revisionism and fictionalization.

The Mythras game system, rules, etc., and all settings published by them, are copyright The Design Mechanism.

Divergent Earth: Parallel 34.21.12