Tiresians

By SunlessNick

"Mr Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown, loathing and fear with which Mr Utterson regarded him."
- The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Ignore the film and television adaptations. Go back to the original text, and we find that Mr Hyde resembled a human being, albeit an unattractive one. And yet all who encountered him felt a sense of wrongness from him. Without any visible deformity, he nevertheless seemed deformed. His appearance was… Disquieting.

Dr Jekyll was a man torn between devotion to his job as doctor and the rational pursuit of science, and the sins and vices that he indulged in the shadows. This conflict ate at him, and he conceived an obsession to separate these two sides of his personality into different selves, which could then follow their respective drives unhindered by the other. This obsession drove him into chemistry and alchemy looking for a way to transform himself between these two beings - and it proved strong enough that he called the Divine Fire down into his own flesh - flesh which twisted, and warped, and reshaped itself into Mr Hyde.

And yet when I looked upon that ugly idol in the glass, I was conscious of no repugnance, rather of a leap of welcome. This too was myself.
- Dr Jekyll

Nomenclature

Tiresian: The name of the species. It is taken from the Greek legend of Tiresias who was said to have lived life as both a man and woman.

Dusk: Refers to both the moment of transformation into a Tiresian, and the general Tiresian existence.

Elixir: The agent used to facilitate the entry into Dusk. It need not literally be an alchemical potion, though that is the classic; it may also be a ritual, a machine, an artistic expression, or anything else requiring both inventiveness and tenacity.

Day Form: The human form of the Tiresian. It is identical in appearance, and close in personality to the character before her entry into Dusk. "Day" does not imply a schedule of transformation; it is used tin accordance with the metaphors of Promethean's Saturnine Night and New Dawn.

Night Form: The transformed form of the Tiresian. Its appearance is normally radically different from the Day Form. "Night" does not imply a schedule of transformation; it is used in accordance with the metaphors of Promethean's Saturnine Night and New Dawn. While Mr Hyde was evil incarnate, that is not a necessary trait of the Night Form.

Distillation: The Tiresian equivalent of Lineage; which of the Humours define its predominant nature. Distillations are normally referred to simply by the name of the Humour, though most have a famous individual in their history after whom they could also be known.

Pilgrimage: Tiresians engage in a Pilgrimage analogous to that of Prometheans; the end goal is the re-integration of the Day and Night forms, hopefully as a more complete and balanced person. The Pilgrimage is tracked via milestones in the normal way; however, unlike a Promethean, a Tiresian is not required to create another of their kind before the big day.

Circean: An Elixir can go wrong, creating a mockery akin to a Pandoran. Tiresian myth associates such beings with Circe, who used enchanted food to turn men into beasts.

Distillations

Distillations come in two kinds. First are those whose Humour exists naturally within the human form, and has been gouged out in order to create the Night Form - these are referred to as Carved Humours - they include the big four of Choler, Sanguine, Melancholy, and Phlegm, as well as any that are derived from real human body tissues (such as Epinephrine). Other Humours are referred to as Grafted Humours as they must be attached to the new Tiresian from outside - the most important of these is Ectoplasmic. A Distillation's Humour forms the core of a Tiresian Night Form's drives - while the Day Form is either empty of those drives (in the case of a Carved Humour) or mistrustful of them (in the case of a Grafted one).

Distillations are not precisely the same as Lineages. Tiresians do not have to create others of their kind before returning to their human condition, so a clear line of descent is not a given. They are grouped by commonality rather than inheritance - while one Tiresian may enter the Dusk by duplicating the Elixir of a predecessor, another may do so via a completely different method. As such, while each of the Distillations below has an associated "famous name," that name may not be the first of their kind - they may just be more famous than others or be held up as a mythical ideal.

Each Distillation is associated with one of the Attribute categories; the significance of this will be described in the Template section.

Choleric: Choleric Tiresians are known for anger, impulsiveness, and violence - in their Night Forms, they follow their vices without restraint - however, they can also be charismatic, and inspiring. The drive of that Choler is lost to their Day Forms, making them listless and passive, though also calm and rational. The most famous Choleric Tiresian is Dr Jekyll, who became or created Mr Hyde in the hope that his sinful and benign sides could act out their natures without affecting each other; it didn't work out as well as he hoped. The associated Attribute category is Power.

Sanguine: Sanguine Tiresians are known for passion, hedonism, and need - in their Night Forms, they are jealous and lustful - however, they are also creative and full of feeling, which can be a good thing as well as bad. In their Day Forms, they lack these appetites, which can make them cold-hearted and hollow, but also composed and logical. The most famous Sanguine Tiresian is Elizabeth Bathory who sought renewed youth and vigour. The associated Attribute category is Social.

Melancholic: Melancholic Tiresians are known for overpowering emotions, most especially grief and rage - either of which can quickly turn to the destructive - though sometimes their empathy can win out making them paragons of compassion. In their Day Forms, they are empty of such feelings - as with the Sanguine, this often leaves them cold and hollow, though they sometimes display a quiet confidence, especially in adversity. The most famous Melancholic Tiresian is La Llorona, who sought to banish an unendurable grief to another self (Tiresians who want a more ancient pedigree sometimes invoke Orpheus' name). The associated Attribute category is Resistance.

Phlegmatic: Phlegmatic Tiresians are known for being calm and logical - which can shade into morbidity or even unfeeling callousness - though it can also lead them to be thoughtful and insightful. In their Day Forms, they lack this stability and tend to be flighty and impressionable - but can be the life and soul of any party. In ancient Etruria, there was a necromantic priesthood of Phlegmatic Tiresians, who held their Day and Night Forms as symbolic of the living world and underworld - this cult is associated with the myth of Proserpina. The associated Attribute category is Mental.

Ectoplasmic: Ectoplasmic Tiresians are intuitive, and in touch with the stranger currents of the world around them - though sometimes these currents seem to call the tune, leaving them prone to strange drives and bizarre behaviours. In their Day Forms, they find themselves suspicious of their instincts and intuitions, always preferring to think things through carefully - which, it must be said, can easily be a good thing. The most famous Ectoplasmic Tiresian is Faust, whose Night Form, calling itself Mephistopheles, displayed an uncanny instinct for sin and weakness. The associated Attribute category is Finesse.

Template

Mortal Traits: The Attributes, Skills, and Advantages are chosen just as for any other character.

Day Form Merits: The Day Form has the usual seven dots of Merits - none may be Promethean-specific, with the exception of Lair (the Day and Night Forms can share a Lair, which can then be considered a place where they can transform in safety).

The Night Form: The next step is to build the Night Form.

  • Reassign one to three dots of Attributes; none can be removed from the category associated with the characters Distillation, and at least one must be transferred into it.
  • Recalculate the derived Advantages according to the new Attributes. The Night Form has Humanity rather than Morality.
  • Assign seven dots of Merits; the Night Form can take any Promethean-specific Merits apart from Residual Memory. With the exception of Encyclopedic Knowledge, it can also have Merits that are only available at character creation, even if the character has been played as a human for some time before entering the Dusk.
  • Virtue and Vice remain the same.
  • Skills remain the same.
  • Decide whether the Night Form looks enough like the Day Form that the two can pass for one another. This has advantages and disadvantages either way, so it doesn't count as a Merit or Flaw, but it's an important consideration.

W-Axis: Tiresians have a "W-Axis" in the form of whether their Distillation's Humour is Carved or Grafted - the Distillations section above defines which Humours are in which category - the choice has repercussions for the Day Form, described in the Special Rules.

Distillation: Choose the Distillation.

Azoth: Azoth is 1, though the Night Form's Merit Dots can be used to increase it.

Bestowment: Each Distillation can take a Bestowment from those available to Prometheans of the same Humour. Bestowments representing gross body changes are not available to Tiresians: this includes the Frankenstein alternate Spare Parts, the Galateid alternate Heart of Stone, and the Osirian Revivication (Tiresians will tend to have the alternate Corpse Tongue); there are no equivalent Tiresian-only Bestowments.

Transmutations: The Night Form has access to 3 dots of Transmutations. Again, those involving gross body-changes (such as Form of the Barghest) are closed to Tiresians, though most Deception powers are ok. As with Bestowments, there are no Tiresian-only Transmutations.

New Flaw: Severed Memory. By default the two forms of a Tiresian share a single memory (though of course they may feel differently about it). With this flaw, neither form remembers what takes place while the other is active.

Note: Tiresians do not have Refinements in a mechanical sense, though the Refinements can certainly be used as inspiration when fleshing out each form's attitudes to the other, their new life and drives, and the Tiresian condition in general.

Special Rules

The Day Form: The Day Form is considered a normal human in almost all respects. The exceptions are:

  • She still counts as being a major template, so cannot be Embraced, Awaken, or undergo a similar supernatural change.
  • Her Azoth is dormant, but it's still there; this means that it factors into resistance rolls as it would for the Night Form. Its radiance is not sufficient to wake Pandorans or Circeans from Dormancy.
  • Should the Night Form develop an Athanor, the Day Form will have access to the Redeemed Boon, though not any of the other benefits.
  • A Tiresian with a Carved Humour will lost much of that Humour's associated drives while in Day Form; she will be unable to spend Willpower on actions deriving from those impulses, as she just won't care enough.
  • A Tiresian with a Grafted Humour will find that that Humour's associated drives feel alien to her; she will never regain Willpower from actions deriving from those impulses, as they will not feed her sense of self.
  • The Day Form cannot increase her Morality spontaneously as a mortal can, but must spend experience.

The Night Form: The condition of the Night Form is like that of a Promethean in most respects. Exceptions and some other considerations are:

  • Tiresians cannot return from the dead the way Prometheans can.
  • Only time spent in Night Form contributes to the rise of the Wasteland; when the Tiresian is in Day Form, the Wasteland will not worsen (though neither will it heal if she remains in the area).
  • Tiresians need to be more choosy about what they eat; they have a stronger stomach than most humans, but they do need to eat real food as opposed to mulched tree bark.
  • Tiresians don't have Disfigurements.
  • Tiresians don't regain Pyros from interacting with humans; that is experience they already have.
  • Tiresian Azoth will awaken Pandorans.
  • Tiresians can join Alchemical Pacts, in which they count as a Promethean of the Lineage associated with their Humour.

Transformation: The defining element of the Tiresian is their ability to change from one self to another.

  • Either form can voluntarily shift to the other by taking a dose of their Elixir, or by spending a point of Willpower and succeeding in an instant Resolve + Stamina roll.
  • The transformation is intensely painful. The character is stunned and suffers a 2-dice penalty on all actions for 10-Stamina turns after the change.
  • Willpower and Morality/Humanity are tracked differently for each form; Health Levels and damage carry from one to the other.
  • Either form has a risk of changing involuntarily if an outside force compels it lose a point of Willpower (this doesn't apply to deliberately spent points). The roll to resist this is Resolve + Composure.
  • The Day Form risks changing involuntarily (with the same roll to resist) if it loses Morality, or has a derangement triggered.

Pilgrimage: A Tiresian has milestones just as a Promethean; both forms have lessons they must learn, so the Storyteller should devise two lists (though they may have several milestones in common), and both forms must complete their learning process before they can reintegrate. Reintegration is performed using the same system as the Generative Act - the possibility of lost memory applies to those of the Night Form - should this come to pass, the Day Form will remember its life, but with blackouts and gaps for the times it was dormant.

Experience: Experience is tricky for the Tiresian as the two forms share some aspects while others are separate. Experience points are awarded as follows:

  • Each form has a separate bank of experience points.
  • The chapter-based experience points are given to the form which spends the most (or most important) time "on stage" - though in the case of roleplaying, should the player merit a second point, this can be given to the other form.
  • The story-based experience points are given to each form should their activities warrant it.
  • The Night Form can gain Vitriol from completed milestones, and from the other ways than Prometheans can. Such Vitriol can be stolen via Lacuna, but only when the Tiresian is in Night Form.
  • The Day Form does not get additional experience from completed milestones, or sources of Vitriol.

Each form of the Tiresian spends experience separately, but some purchased traits will then be available to both:

  • Attributes and Merits advance separately; so a Night Form's increase in Intelligence won't carry over to the Day Form, and a Day Form's cultivated Contacts won't answer the Night Form's calls.
  • Skills and Skill Specialties advance in tandem; so a Night Form's increase in Academics will also affect the Day Form's skill, and Day Form's particular study of history will assist the Night Form's own studies.
  • Morality, Humanity, Azoth, and Transmutations are only available to one Form anyway. so the question is moot for them.
  • The Night Form purchases all Transmutations at the out-of-affinity cost.

Antagonists

Circeans: Circeans arise from corrupted or incorrectly made Elixirs; they come in two kinds that could be referred to as Diurnal and Nocturnal.

A Diurnal Circean has its Night Form poisoned and destroyed by the corrupted Dusk; this can only occur with Elixirs centred on Carved Humours. Physically, it appears as a human, but with the same special rules as a Tiresian Day Form. Diurnal Circeans are not vulnerable to Dormancy, but they also lack any Transmutation powers. They hunger for Azoth, and will attempt to attack and cannibalise any source of it they find (probably to little success). Their hollowed personalities frequently lead them to kill others too, perhaps in the hope of finding some additional life force to sustain them, perhaps simply out of spite and pain; a Diurnal Circean could easily be lost in the Slasher population.

A Nocturnal Circean is the opposite - the Dust destroys its Day Form, leaving it permanently in its Night Form (though it may be a Night Form warped out of human semblance) - it can occur with either Carved or Grafted Humours. Nocturnal Circeans resemble Pandorans, though they differ in the same ways that a Night Form would differ from a Promethean. They are vulnerable to Dormancy, but can be awakened by either a Tiresian in Night Form or a Promethean - a Nocturnal Circean will attack a Promethean for Azoth, but will prefer a Tiresian if one is available - it can take the Azoth from a Tiresian in Day Form (though fortunately most are not intelligent enough to wait for the soft target to present itself).

Pandorans: Pandorans can be awakened from Dormancy by Tiresians in Night Form, and will find them a viable source of Azoth (though a Promethean will be preferred if one is available). Unlike Circeans, Pandorans cannot harvest the Azoth from a Tiresian's Day Form.

Qashmalim: Qashmalim are interested in all forms of "divine kindling" so they may complicate a Tiresian's life as easily as a Promethean's.

Clones: A Tiresian is a valid source of Azoth for the production of Clones. Depending on the method used, this may apply to either form or just the Night Form.

Nuclear Tiresian: Tiresians are more physically human than Prometheans. While a Nuclear version is a theoretical possibility, it will be in for a truly miserable existence (not that that significantly differentiates it from one of the Zeky). There are no famous names attached to the concept of a Nuclear Tiresian, but radiation-spawned monsters are a staple of B-Movie science horror, so inspiration is not hard to find. Nuclear Tiresians differ from normal Tiresians in the same ways that the Zeky differ from normal Prometheans, with one extra point: in Night Form, the ravaged body of a Nuclear Tiresian cannot heal without the use of radiation or Transmutations; at all. The Night Form of a Nuclear Tiresian can purchase Irradiation Transmutations at the in-affinity cost.

Acknowledgments

I don't know if anyone holds the copyright on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde any more (the 50 years after the creator's death thing) - but if anyone does, they can rest assured that this is not a challenge. The creation of Tiresians owes a lot to Dataweaver and Hobbit Guy (posters on White Wolf's forums).