CREDO
“We move.”
WHO THEY ARE
Sometimes our extant shell is not enough. By animating and controlling an armoured frame, Drivers protect others and themselves against the dangers of the universe. While similar to the Anaes’ fleshcraft and the SriDOSi body construction, Driving originated with the Gornfolk: those who share their bodies with spirits. Who better to understand the relationship between a pilot and its temporary home than ones who anchor themselves in reality through the flesh?
Driving is more intuitive than technical; the form the frame takes is up to the Driver. Some keep the same shape no matter what material they’re using, while others like to experiment. Similarly, some regularly swap out for new styles of frames to better blend in with their current environment, while others hang onto a frame type until it falls apart. It always falls apart. Everything does. The Drivers will be there to rebuild afterwards.
JOINING
Drivers tend to be a diverse bunch outside of their frames, so if you want to join, you’re welcome. It takes a while to learn how to form a frame and the capabilities are almost exclusively defensive, so no one’s too worried about using Guild powers for evil.
POWERS
All powers are once between Rests and take an Action to activate unless otherwise stated.
SHAPE (LEVEL 1)
The Driver can turn anything into a piece of Cover, whether for themselves or an ally, as long as it’s in an adjacent square. A tossed object, a bit of dirt, anything will grow until it fills the space. The Cover lasts until destroyed or the Driver moves. This Cover counts as constructed and fulfills the conditions of PILOT.
PILOT (LEVEL 3)
Any piece of constructed (made by sentients) material at least your character’s size can be converted into a temporary mech. You have cover equal to constructed from all directions, though the suit can be destroyed in this fashion. You move at your character’s SPEED and retain all other attributes and abilities, however, you cannot feel anything through the frame, only see, smell, and hear.
You may also choose to have your mech count as Size 2.
This power can be used once per encounter and lasts until the end of the encounter or until destroyed.
REINFORCE (LEVEL 5)
You may now repair any piece of Cover – one piece per Level per Action (so at level 5, you can repair 5 squares of Cover with one Action) and assign it constructed quality. This includes your frame.
BOOST (LEVEL 7)
While in your frame, you gain a Defense boost equal to half your LEVEL. You may also create your frame out of any amount of raw material – it no longer has to be Constructed – even if the material doesn’t seem to make sense. Fire? Gusts of wind? Glitter? As long as you have a sample of it on you or nearby, you can use it.
ULTIMATE (LEVEL 9)
Choose one:
- You cannot attack or use ring powers but all attacks against you fail for one round
- While in your mech, any attacks made against adjacent allies can be claimed by you instead
- Your frame persists between encounters
GOALS
What drives a Driver? Who the fuck knows? Every Driver is unique. While their relationship to the environment is interactive, the Driver doesn’t need to understand anything about it to use it. Their frame being temporary also makes it difficult to establish a long-term relationship with it. But Drivers who have been around a while often compare their perspective to the immortal spirits that share a body with the Gornfolk; as a Hand, you carry on no matter what changes around you, whatever might be destroyed.
REALITY PHILOSOPHY: GROW
The universe is being gnawed away even after so much of it was taken from us. We know the universe can become something beautiful and new; not just an off-shoot of the current or a permutation on old patterns but something never seen before. We will guard whatever that is until it’s ready and long afterwards. We are Drivers; we adapt to what we’re given; we are the last bulwark against the Outer Light.
STRUCTURE
Drivers tend to like the company of others, but rarely make themselves the center of attention, and only really relax around their Bonds or other Drivers. All of the organization within the Guild is voluntary and there’s quite a lot of it. Classes, downtime get-togethers, even a wall in the Guild Hall where drawings or photos of recent frame styles are posted with votes for the favourites. They might be the only Guild with a private linkstone network maintained by the members. Made available to all Drivers, it allows them to swap stories and pieces of advice or just listen to the chatter as background noise.
GUILDMASTER
Ronnet-Basbara, Gornwood, UH10
The body of Ronnet and the ancient spirit, Basbara, had a traumatic joining experience: a half-complete connection as Basbara overwhelmed the too-young Ronnet’s neural pathways and nearly killed them both. They never fully regained the ability to control Ronnet’s body and in the dangerous aquatic depths of Gornwood, this kept them inside, bored and isolated… until the Collapse and their discovery of Driving.
Inside the frame, they can go where they wish, do what they wish. No one has ever seen Ronnet-Basbara out of the mech and they’re too busy out in the field pushing the limits of their suit. Their frame looks different every time and even the deputy leaders of the Guild only have rumours to go off of.
Nonetheless, no one is interested in deposing them. The vast social network of the Drivers means their Guildmaster is always connected to what’s going on, listening in, maybe even chatting on the linkstone network, and that’s enough for them.
BENEFITS
Access to the Guild’s linkstone network means Drivers of all skill levels and origins are available for advice or even just a friendly ear.
TITHES
You’re expected to be truthful and kind in Guild spaces; if not everywhere else as well. Drivers aren’t here to cause problems, but to clean them up. Behaving badly may get you shunned from the Guild or even kicked out.
ACCORDS/TABOOS
BEGIN TRANSMISSION
ACCORD: The Driver listens to the Guild linkstone network for at least 30 minutes.
TABOO: They cannot speak over the network during that time.
WITHIN THE CRADLE
ACCORD: The Driver rests on top of a constructed surface for at least an hour.
TABOO: The Driver cannot use the same square of constructed surface ever again to gain Luck.
ARMOURED CORE
ACCORD: The Driver tears a small piece off their current frame. This causes 1 HP of damage to the frame.
TABOO: If the frame is destroyed, the Driver must eat the piece they tore off.