pharmacopeia

life

                Chemistry has invaded our lives, has provided us with new foods and new materials,
                has replaced wood and metal with less expensive products,
                has enabled low-income classes to acquire things that otherwise would have been inaccessible
                    - Luciano Caglioti


Advanced Forensics
(Life 1 Matter 1)
The analysis of microtraces on a crime site is the most important part of investigative work when on a case. Unenlightened detectives have to collect those in a painstaking process and send them to a lab for analysis. We are not that limited in our possibilities like that. With the highly advanced methods taught by our Union's experts, we may assess all those traces without disturbing a single one of them. Preferably before any others arrive and spoil the traces with their crude methods.
This Procedure is basic training for all agents investigating in the field. Mainly used by the NWO, it spread through the ranks of field agents within all Conventions. Without disturbing any evidence this Procedure enables the Enlightened investigator to gather information about all present trace material. DNA traces, clothing fibres, traces of gunpowder, dust or dirt carried onto the site, saliva and other bodily fluids etc. The methods used vary widely. Internal scanners are a favorite of Iteration-X. Heightened senses are among the possible ways the Progenitors and the NWO have. Whatever the focus, the result is the same.
[The degree and depth of the information gathered is determined by the number of successes. Obvious traces like blood, visible dirt or ammo casing require one success. Minutae like DNA traces, shed skin flakes or dried saliva will require up to five. Normally this is quite coincidental. Openly displaying knowledge about the DNA traces present by just looking at a crime site however is not when sleepers are present. Since this Procedure is usually enacted before any sleeper authorities arrive on site, this problem can be avoided. Subtlety is the key to success.]

Organic Recording
(Life 2 Mind 1)
Expanding on the ingenious concept of the RetEncO the Progenitor Genegineer Sloane Parker found a method to modify the microbes living in his organism to change their properties when subjected to brain wave patterns. Extracted later, information may be extracted from the way those microbes have been altered. All kinds of sensory perceptions may be recorded this way.
The ability to record impressions without any equipment can be a crucial asset in covert operations. Since Parker's innovation this versatile tool has seen wide use among all kinds of Technocrats. Of course this Procedure requires a high level of skill in microbiology and body chemistry. One can't just alter microbes without knowing which ones are appropriate. The recorded information can be extracted from any kind of residue or waste left by those organisms. Earwax, tears even skin flakes or urine may be used as carrier for the encoded recording. The extraction and decoding requires a fully equipped lab of course.
[To use this Procedure, the character will have to have an appropriate science skill of at least level three. Successes will determine the amount of time recorded this way. Each sense being recorded will also require one success. To record audio and visual requires two successes at least. The model for this Procedure, the RetEncO Device is detailed in the Technomancer's Toybox. Contrary to the Device, the Procedure does not require any special bio modifications. To extract and decode the information requires a Life 1 Forces 1 effect and an advanced laboratory of at least level three.]

The Compound
(Life 3 Prime 2 Matter 2)
Complex chemical reactions need complex compounds to work. The availability of such agents is not always up to the demands of our Scientists. Now Pharmacopeists in the field do not have to wait any longer for resupplying of their stock. With only a small quantity of organic base material everything can be synthesized.
By means of a Synthetic Ritual a Pharmacopeias can synthesize any possible chemical compound from scratch. Any organic or anorganic material may be used as base for this Procedure. The resulting compound is completely up to the Scientist
Especially field agents of the Progenitors make wide use of this Procedure. Chemical supplies for advanced Science are often hard to locate. Simple ones can be bought in any drugstore or even collected in the field.
[One success is necessary for each application of a chemical compound. Since this Procedure uses the methods of synthetic ritual it is an extended roll. Actually the ritual can continue for as long as base material is available and is fed into the synthesis]

Hostile Metabolism
(Life 4)
The metabolism is the key to life and it's functions. This biochemical complex can - however - be altered in such a way that it becomes the cause of death for a subject. Altering a creature's metabolism in such a way that it digests it's own cells is an advanced and highly dangerous application of Life Science
By means of this Procedure, an organism can be altered in such a way that is begins to turn on itself. The digestive tract starts decomposing the body from within, the immune system attacks the cells of the organism and other similar effects. In the end nothing remains of the subject organism but an organic soup of proteins and minerals. To make this procedure work, the subject organism has to be injected with a prion that will alter the metabolic structure accordingly. When using this effect in conjunction with Correspondence, it is even possible to affect a distant organism. Each target organism requires a specifically tailored prion that will only work against this specific target.
[This extreme procedure causes aggravated damage to any subject organism. No special powers except other Life or Entropy magick may help the unfortunate subject. The genetic code of the subject organism must be available to create the insidious prion that will start the process. This data can easily be obtained with a simple Life 1 genetics scan. Since there actually are afflictions that have this effect, this Procedure is coincidental even though it is really excessive and gruesome]

Bodysnatching
(Life 5 Mind 3)
Progenitor intrusion clones are a valuable asset when we want to infiltrate our enemy. Sometimes time is an issue though, and it's impossible to wait for a lengthy cloning procedure to finish. In such a case, this advanced but highly dangerous Procedure is a viable solution.
The advanced techniques of the Genegineers include cloning since the first half of the 20th century. This Procedure takes the concept one level further though. By using genetic material and a personality scan, a master of Life Science may effectively become someone else. More powerful Scientists may even be able to copy another mage's Avatar. This Procedure is highly dangerous though. The mage actually becomes someone else. Nobody, not even the subject's closest friends will notice the difference. Memories, believes and of course physiology become those of the subject. The risk of becoming stuck as the other self is high. Most Progenitors prepare by conditioning themselves to switch back to their normal self on some trigger event, or make sure their Symposium has a way to return them to normal. As usual, the subject is terminated on the successful completion of the copy process.
[Needless to say this Procedure is quite vulgar. Paradox backlashes trap the unfortunate mage in the body and with the personality of someone else. To copy another mage's Avatar requires Spirit 5 too. The Technocrat effectively becomes the other mage, that includes paradigm and style of magick. Obviously the risk of deviation is very high. Therefore the Progenitors try to avoid using this Procedure to copy Marauders or Nephandi. Tradition mages are fair game though. More than one Genegineer had to be reconditioned thoroughly after returning to her normal self, the residue of the experience is just too strong.]