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Continuum - Roleplaying in The Yet (Cleaned, Cropped, Sharpened, +atlantis, +calendars, +errata, +footnotes, +scenarios, +GM Sheets)
Continuum - Roleplaying in The Yet (Cleaned, Cropped, Sharpened, +atlantis, +calendars, +errata, +footnotes, +scenarios, +GM Sheets)
Continuum - Roleplaying in The Yet (Cleaned, Cropped, Sharpened, +atlantis, +calendars, +errata, +footnotes, +scenarios, +GM Sheets)
1. INFORMATION IS ALL
Discip line is the li feb lood of th e Continuum. I will know when and where I a m and
am goi ng, and diligently record where I have been. I will arrange corners, or meeting
places, when and where my fella" spanners can rend ezvo us in safety and
coordinate our actions.
4. INVITATIONS TO DA CE
couer
Playtesters
The' Comp:is men; Engim•c-..-s· Fr.1tfm1ry, Ch1cago, Contimmm Logo and Dan Ad inolfi, David Bierce, Pete H enderson, MicheUe
A D 1897- 192
Henn of lhe Piscean Gate
Book j acket design: Kelley, J ason Sch neiderman, Deri.ng Sprague J ames Taylor,
lapis, nan12.ed marble, nran1um ::i.nd onch:1kum David Fooden Ben Handy, Brian Wa rd, Frank Lazar, Jennifer Bi hop and
ouncil Temple, Atlan tis everyo ne at ou r NYC demos; J eff Gilmour and everyone at
dedica ted I 2968 BC.
as interpreted fo r the C' rrtNU ,\ii Rl>c by Fraternity Logo Design: World Con and Jo n Con; everyone at Shorecon, esp. Brian
Mjcbacl W• Ka lu ra Lazarus Chernik , McKinley, Joe " lf There's A Bug He'll Find Ir " Pa Iser, and
AD 1999
Chris Adams sla ughterho use four : steph (flux), brandon (log) remy (dr.
ch ico), & sean (pesto); Vinny Salzillo, Martha SchuJze,
{routispicce Avonelle Wing and everyone i.n the Nexu of the Avatar
D. A. Leynd eckcr, (b. AD 1902)
Po rtrait of Seana in the G uise of l,cr Juninrs System.
pasrel tri ptyc h. center panc:I
tar Ga ll ery. \'v'itchira
AD 2014
AU contents Copyright© 1998, I 999 M anui, Ada ms & Fooden. World right
reserved . ored arr COp)•right throughout belong to their respective creators .
Used with permi sioa .
0 SUGGESTION OF ENDOR EMENT.
Rd"erences ro statements and research or actual sc.i~ti fic or other professional persons C'Nl1NUI.JMn 1, THE YETT", Let's make hi storyrn, ' RCISSl TT'', and the
and organi.zacioos do not represent endorsements of the ~'llNL! . t ga me by same. ha nd-and-watch logo a re trademarks of Aer.herco and Dreamcatcher
Rd erences ro aaual producr.s and services do nm suggest cndorscrafflr by or o f Aetherco, Mulrimedia for their time travel game. World rigbrs reserved.
Dreamcarcher or C.Onrinuum Partners, and appear for referentia l or satlri purposes only.
Aethercorn , IJZAJ<Th1 and the book -and-branch logo are trademarks o f
A WORK OF FlCTIO .
The charaa crs, events, and siruanons prcsemcd in C°NTINUUM are ficrional, ser in rhe Aetherco. Wo rld right reserved .
o nt cxc of hisro ri public events. Any restmblan e to private persons. living or dead ore
purely coi.no dent:al. Dreamcatcherrn and rhe dreamcatchcr logo are trademarks of Drea mca rcher
Multimedia , Lnc . World right re erved .
0 GUARMffY, NO ARR.ANTY. Sc-.:!by
This is a game of e.ntcnainment. designed to introduce the grcarer publi to the possibili- Yoe!pc.ll.J\•WGL\1
GE DER-NEUTRAL.
ties. hazards and responsibil ities of genuine time tra vel. Introduction to c.he actual disci- 'He' and 'his' are usc-d throughout tNs book as gender-neutral pronoun .
plines of Spanning is nor guara nrrcd with this book. People with an ina bili ry ro di ·tin -
guish funrasy from reality a.re di.scou.raged from playing this game, and no warranty is ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ma le by the publishers for accidents, temporal or otherwise. [hat result from pla • o f this No part of th is hook may be reproduced or copied in an y form or b ~nv m~ n.s-graph ic,
product. t:lenronic. or mechanica l, including phorocopying, raping, or infonnauon .sr rage and
retrieva l systems- witho ut express wrirrcn permissio n o f the pubh hus..
Introductions C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
'This rea li m i caken full circle: This game " c°NTINUUM " is part of the universe, one of many tools be.iag used to educare the population of the reality of time travel
c 0 NTINUUM: rolep]aying in The Yet Introductions
May you enjoy reading aod playing Tune was when I had Harry Shapiro si tting right over there, and
this game as much as I did creating it. telling us about buried civiliza tions under the Sahara . Dr. Shapiro
(Maybe now more than 3 people wi ll get o ur in-jokes.) was in his time one of the luminaries of the world of archaeology,
and a friend of my mot.her. The arc of that con ersation touched
also upon Vmland,-which he had helped to bring to light.
Id like to thank the following people Dr. Shapiro told us that the Sahara was a recen t desert. He said
that within recorded history, it had been considerably I s arid than
fo r inspiration and helping to make this it was today; that desertifica tion is a gradual p rocess; that the Fertile
Crescent had been green three thousand years ago, and that there
book happen: wa also every po ibi.lity tha t ites older than Korono o and
umer were hidden undernea th the orth African desert. He said
that some had tried to dig there, and had been frustrated by the
Mom, for teaching me to read. Oh shifting sands.
But, he added, with new techniques an d technology, it was likely
eah, and that giving birth to me thing you tha t soon we would find traces, evidence, of antiquities beyond
did. conventional suspicion. I am looking forward to this, even though
it will make the landscape of Antedesertium fall into the trange
Dad, the best agent a guy could ask region into which Barsoom fell when Viking landed, w here one also
for, for being my dad will find the Aat earth where no one lives any more. We have
recently seen good evidence that the Sphinx is twelve thousand
Aunt Doris, Aunt Annie, & Uncle years old, and the pyramid line up w ith Orion' belt a it appeared
Harold, for helping to make publishing this to our ancestors, ten thousand years before Christ.
I have been watching this game tak e shape for the last two years.
possible. U ually if my name i on something, it means my blood i in it; but
Chris and Da e deserve, by fa r, the lions' share of the crec:tit on thi
Uncle Gil & Aunt Sandy, for your one. I think Continu um is a ignificant innova tion in the gaming
hospitality every GenCon weekend. indu try. It' a hard game, not for those who are unw illing to think
deep ly about their campaigns and how they have to move in order
(doesn r my fam ily rock ?) to make sense. I have been telling people that I believe it will sell
Lazarus Cheroik, for the expert well. Frankly, I don't know. I think the true val ue of the game is to
push the envelope of the RPG one step further. What are you, the
advice, talent and friendship. ga mers, going to make with it?
lf you e er wan t to have fun wi th me, get me to rant about gam-
The illustrators who lenr their time ing an d d 1aracters and responsibi.li ty. 111.is is where f cro s the line
and talent to this and previous editions of fro m a tailored Wall Street cons ultant, to a shaman w ith a mission.
I genuinely believe that subcrea tion is our legacy from our own
Continuum. I'm honored to have friends as Creator, and tha t we can brea the the germ of life into the creatures
talented and noble as you. we build wi th our minds. This leads to aJ.anning questions, about
the means of grace and the hope of glory; about charters and max-
Chris and Barbara (and Manu and ims and what makes Jonny real.
And the question that begs itself is, what will you lot do within
lizak), for all the strangeness. the contex t of this framework? What kind of strange new li.fe will
NYMUG, back when it reaUy was you drag toward your own respective Bethlehems?
I had a dream once, many yea.rs ago. It has colored this game, so
NYMUG, for all the Quark and Marathon. I think you all should hear it. I was only wa tching. There w as a
The playtesters and convention orga- man. He was moving around a cottage, getting d ressed . It was
made of wood, thatched, and there wa a woman falling asleep
nizers whose support of the RPG hobby in somewh ere inside. La te afternoon. Ou tside the cottage, there was
dirt, gravel, and th.e n a road through a village. He wore colored
general and of us in particular aided in the silk, and leather, w ith a small word in his belt; shaven head ; square
development of the game. jaw, handsome in his way; he left and walked down the d usty road .
I wa on his houlder, like glue.
They Might Be Giants, Tom Waits, He walked down the road, and I saw through his eyes. There
olfgang Amadeus Mozart. were boy down by the stream, bowling their hoops in the tall
gras , d odging and weaving through the boughs of the trees. Sma ll
Rich Thomas, for that first illustra- brown boys, almost naked. I can still hear them laughing. He
wa lked past them and up to the wa.lls of the city.
tion job. I was still on his back as he walked through the city. ight was
Jeff Barber; for tho e words of advice falling. I was in his mind and I could see as he saw. Two building ,
ta ll, rising up ahead in the road . And the moon, Sin, his beloved.
a few years ago that you probably don't And then I saw as he saw. The buildings rose, and rose. They
remember. cro sed the road and intertwined , Seussian sculptures of light and
shadow, immense. Unfeasible. Sin, in his vision, fram ed between
Andy and Thorin, for all those long arching spires of masonry. It was homage and transport and raw
energy.
onversations/debates/arguments about For this reason l call him the architect.
\ hether or not a time tra el game could He came to a building, his building, and went inside into the
da rk. At the font he washed himself, in the moonlight. He put on
ork (hah, so there). the d oth of gold, and painted his eyes and put on the crown. My
dream was fa ding. He went up to the altar, the high place, to per-
Everyone who buys this book. form the ceremony.
- Who was he? Where can I find him? What can I shake, to
know this?
Da vid Fooden, Barbara Manui Tiznnks to Mm,u Elci/111 ,
tist, Creator, Gamer, ew York. July, 1999. John Gallagher, and my parents.
)~ ~
=
Chapter I: Invitations C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
or them.,. balding guy wa sitting there, chatting on t ie pay
·'What ? What the hell!?" phone.
"Language, young Lady." Then she turned and "Hey. Hey, let me on. Emergency." Cynthia
headed back down the corridor, and up lhe lairs to wiped mascara-ridden wet from her face. "C'mon. Nine
the roof. one one-"
Cynthia, bug-eyed, her neck beginning to ache The man turned. she didn't know him. He had
from the attack, Listened to the footsteps go up, then a beard, graying too, which wrapped a smile that com-
stop abruptly in dead silence. forted until. '1t's all right, Cynthia. 171 only be a sec."
Like a string tied to her soul, she had to see. He turned back to his conversation. he stood
Around the corner he went, and the woman there, armed with quarters, but a glance revealed that
was gone. The door to the roof was bolted and pad- the black guy was back, same place. The only other
locked from the inside. person was some woman with her back to her, in gar-
Up into the dark she went, sick with confu- ish clothes, almost gypsy. he was piling all kinds of
sion. The chain and padlock, probably illegal by them- colorful fabrics into a waiting machine.
selues, were painted over and stuck to the door. After a few heartbeats, she made to leaue,
Cynthia heard her own breath, her blood sing in her qtiickly. But the big redbeard was leaning in the door,
ears. Then she bolt d down and scrambled for her looking at her funny.
door. So she went to her dryer. Her clothes weren't
Fumbling again for her keys, Cynthia started done, but she loaded them into the wet bag she had
to shake her head sharply and breathe deep. It made thrown in with them. And in one sock, she slipped the
her neck hurt worse, but now she was afraid someone quarters.
had slipped her something, one of those nutcases Hoisting the damp sack, she made as noncha-
today, and she was on some designer nightmare. lantly as possible for the rear. She considered the rusty
Got to think straight. Shake of the head. What detergent uending machine for a couple seconds, sup-
did she want? What would that bitch want? he pressing a hollow scream. The black guy was now only
remembered the quarters, and as she found her door ten feet away. His attention seemed elsewhere.
key, she glanced at where she had left them. Glancing back, the beards were both standing and fac-
Now there were two rolls. ing her. And the gypsy had her head resting on the
1lventy dollars in quarters sat quietly on the washer, eyeing her. Her tanned arm cradled her face,
banister. Threat by money, thought Cynthia, and she which she could not make out. The little shape of this
stared for a long moment at it. Some small detail was 'dark gyp y's head and arm drove deep into her mind.
drawing her closer, and yes, the drummer. There were Cynthia made for the back door. he hopped
two little drummers, one al the end of each roll. around the narrow back room, slung open the latch,
She took up one in each hand, fixating on the and leapt out onto the rear steps.
small tokens of her ordeal, and saw 011 the other end, She froze. The.v were all there, in the backlot,
each had an identically worn-down coin from 1965. She plus the thin-faced woman. Her original assailant was
sat down on the top stair lo her floor now, comparing absent. but so was her earlier rescuer.
scratches in Washington s face, each nick a duplicate, A shadow fell across her. She dropped her
and her mind began wandering back to when her laundry. It rolled gathering dirt. She raised her sock-
friend Julie commented on why George was the only blackjack. The towering redbeard had appeared on the
President on money without a shirt, and a fight she top step behind her, be/ore a closed doo r.
had with a boyfriend, an ex-boyfriend. "Hello, little. How are you?"
l'ue got to call the police. But I must be "Don't hurt me," she breathed.
drugged, they'll see that. Mom. Call Mom. She was "We won't," said the older graybeard guy,
about to squeeze the rolls until they spilled, and her below her. "We're not here to rob you, or anything." He
tears started finall:v, when there was a thud. scratched his beard. "Maybe we should start this from
omeone was in her apartment. Another bang, a beginning. Hi. I'm Charlie. This is Ray and this is
and a scrape, unmistakable behind the door. he took Lydia. That's our pal uen behind you. Do you recog-
ff before another thought. nize any of us?"
1b her right, Cynthia also saw the gypsy, her
Out through the front door, into the street. No face covered in a ueil. he hadn't been introduced.
ign of her recent attackers, but she ran. The nearest Behind her was parked an ominously unmarked old
pay phone was at the laundromat. And she was going Chevy uan. Her eyes went back to the thin-faced
to use the damn quarters. woman, Lydia.
Coming out of the ,peedAMat with a bag was "You. 1-ou 're from the stairs."
a huge guy with a great, braided red beard. He ''leah. Careful with them quarters, Cynful."
bumped into her. "Don't call me that. "
"He)~ little! Where you going!" he .velled; at "One false moue, and those quarters are seri-
another moment it would have sound friendly. ously mixed up," said Ray, the black guy, pulling a
he raised her fists, with the coin rolls. small electronic appliance out of his jacket sleeue.
"Laundry!" she yelled, tears all over her face. The big ''Those are good instincts. I'm going to check on her
-guy looked concerned suddenly, but she was a/read_,, dream logs. See how long she's been like this."
past him, running for the pay phone. His device spewed a colorful display of energy
Now the place was crowded, or felt it. This into the air aboue it, eight inches on a side. Cynthia
day isn't going to let go of me. And some gra:v haired had neuer seen anything like it, except when her ex
c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
had ma e her watch Trek. "C'mon, riae up frant with me," offerea
The others clucked in disapproval. ''Hey! Charlie. ''lVh re euetJ·bud.v <:ur1 see yuu . We'll tool
H yy... "growled Charlie. around downtown a lilt le, then hPrul out, if ymi'rP rPal-
Ray frowned, made an impatient gesture. ly worried."
What? We know what we're doing with her." "] went screaming," commented Lydia. "But I
'Very outside of kosher. Ray." made the decision, ultimately. It's better than sex."
Cynthia felt like she wanted to sit. Her knee "Uh huh." Cynthia looked at all of them
te out suddenly and she fell hard against the steps. around her, but finally up at ven, who shrugged his
.. massive shoulders cheerfullv. Running did not look
Ray blinked. Charlie came to C\'nthias aid. possible. but she carefully stood up. "Where are we
mmit, Ray, you're scaring her." igoing."
"Turn it off now, Ray,,. said the gypsy. ''Well, somewhere safe. Not your apartment,
"But I was- oh, all right." The lights went since somebody's in there making trouble." Cynthia
t with a decorative flourish, as if it were a kind of stared at Charlie's words. ''Yeah, we know stuff. You
u rhor' signatLLre. In a moment. the little device was needn 'l believe me yet, but you 're way safer with us
, d 11p his sleeve. than anywh re else in the world right now."
"Tll take those.·· Charlie gently retrieved the "Oka)~ Charlie. I won't believe you. Say. I haue
u{ quarters from Cynthia s hands and replaced it to go to the bathroom. How do we handle that."
h ome ones and fives. He handed the rolls over to "We don't, because you went two minutes and
-d1a, who placed th 111 very carefully in a small wood. seventeen seconds before you left to do your laundry."
box. said Lydia.
Cynthia looked at the cash in her lap. Charlie There was a long pause. Cynthia listened to
. "Heres your change." the traffic on the far side of the building, fell the warm
'That's what the jerk who vanished aid-" thrum of the laundromat behind her.
stopped short. They'll thin/,, I'm nnts and- But "That bothers me in a deep way."
, r expressions didn't change. "You don't th ink I'm ' hall we?'' sighed Ray, gesturing to the van.
-y. Do you." "Come on, she'll get in," said Lydia. She
·'Ch-ch-ch-change , "sang Lydia. 1t' Anton, walked over and climbed in herself.
I rirrht." "Careful," came the gypsy's voice.
Ray looked at her. "Anton is still pushing that Cynthia looked again at ven. His eyes twin·
11 ( That's so lame." kled. She got in the front seat.
"Yeah. Anton's fixated on that phrase. It's a
11c he got stuck on." Charlie just shook his head, but
H l.'' was visibly puzzled by his remark. They had driven about Milwaukee discussing
"I won't tell anyone that your Anton friend can good places for take-out. trying to engage Cynthia inlo
ake himself invisible," said Cynthia. "Please just let the conversation, but she was only trying to think
. rro. I won't tell anyone." about escape. Her thoughts weren't very well orga-
'1'd put odds on that!" laughed ven. Ray nized, like something was pulling them in a direction
rt:w a small rock at him. and he sobered. "Oh. I they wouldn't go.
ant, you n ed not feel the teeth of fear from u . You They had made her buckle up. It was an old-
at•t: a long life ahead! You are happy, all over!" fa hioned strap, difficult to undo, and the seat was
Cynthia stared up at him transfixed. high, so at every stoplight she never felt brave enough
Charlie chuckled slightly. " ven means well. to disentangle herself and make a break for it.
·o do we. Its our turn to tell vou some things." Ray had his holographic device out again, and
"T don't need to know," said Cynthia, still Lydia was grabbing at it.
utching Sven. "Lemme see that toy.·•
"Shes a natural." said Ray, and smirked in the "No," muttered Ray. "My span book's on it."
,rection of the gypsy. The gypsy cleared her throat, and Lydia and
"Carmichael.'' It was the rich accent of the Ray said, " orry, ma'am.·· Ra:I' turned the devices pro-
.:yp y. Cynthia slowly looked away from ven. '·I would jector toward the front seat, where it played an old
, ol like to see you die, Carmichael," aid th veiled Milton Berle episode on the glass before Cynthia's
•, oman, opening the rear passenger door in the shadow star .
,,f the van. "Ride with me•·. Then at one Light a police car pulled up across
'7 don't u.•ant to go. Don ·1 do this to me." from the van. In.stinctively she pounded on the wind-
The gypsy hissed. Their eyes met, and shield. "Help! Help me!!"
( :\'nthia didn't like the plain anger she saw. But the light changed, and the police drove
Charlie went and stood between them, and away. Charlie looked at her compassionately. "Well, we
barked at the veiled woman. ''Leveller? Young gemini? cheated a little. They couldn't see through the other
'top bossing her around.·· Cynthia thought she mis- side of Ray's hologram."
heard his words, then realized she was getting far too "Hologram," Cynthia repeated as she quietly
ared to think. sank into her eat. "Never mind."
The gypsy drew herself up as if to put Charlie Final/.,\ Charlie headed the van out of tou n.
in his place. Then she gal'e a growl. ''Bandle it, then." In a few minutes, the sweeping contours of Wisconsin
he climbed in and threw herself into the back of the lay glowing in the dark.
tan . "One detail," the gypsy muttered. Cynthia
=
Chapter I: Invitations C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
IJieara her coming forwara to behina IJier seat. ently, My nee is aa. An tliink you re ere to ki or urt
'deep blue silk wrapped around her eyes. Its perfume me. So. I don't have time for this."
rfell on her, like nothing she had ever known. "Lydia," said young Charlie. "Demonstrate."
"Oh, no." Cynthia groaned ...I'm going to die. ·· '"Yoo hoo. ·· said Lydia. Cynthia looked at her.
"I said I did not want that. We are laking you And then there were two.
to a place of decision. We will show .}'Oil a thing. Then It made C.v n more alive than she would haue
you can stay or go. But only after you see.·• imagi_ned. Not ti~ not illusion. There was another per-
"Cult. You 're a cult. Oh great." son in the room where there hadn ~ been one before;
General chuckling around her. except uens she could feel it from where she slumped.
voice. "No, she's right. he is right. We are a big cull, "Get me a beer," said right Lydia to left Lydia.
:res?" Left Lydia shrugged, uanished, and returned with a
"We're what cults only dream of being," said beer, open, its odor slowl:v leaking around the cold
Charlie, and somehow he made it sound all right, even garage. Right Lydia took it, patted left Lydia on the
a good thing. head. "Good junior."
Cynthia's mouth was open.
"Wake her up," hissed the gyps_v.
Many minutes later. Cynthia felt the Lian "Hey," said old Charlie to the ueiled woman.
come to a stop on grauel, and heard a garage door "What did I say."
open. The uan proceeded inside, the door fell and audi- "What... is that." Cynthia was unable to stop
bly locked. The blindfold pulled off from behind. looking at Lydia, who was making fools of herselues
She was alone in the van. They had all gotten with the beer.
out silently, or somehow, since they were waving her to "Actually, there is a term we use," says
come out. The gypsy was pulling the scarf around in Charlie. "Its a gemini. But there's only so much I can
her hand, tight, menacing. tell _vou be/ore you agree to become one of us, or decide
It was a big garage space she slipped out into. to leaue."
Their uoices were echoing with every word, and with "No, what is she doing. Th-ey doing."
crates and boxes and vehicles under tarps of uarious "Time trauel," said young Charlie.
inds, she couldn't see a ready way out. Another man Cynthia looks around for mirrors and cam-
was there, next to Charlie, and looked like a younger eras, but is feeling weak.
brother. Darker hair and beard, sharp black clothes. "Here, in about a minute, I'll go and appear
He regarded Cynthia intently. Family affair, whispered wherever you point." offers Charlie.
her mind. Cynthia pointed weakly to the van, and at
"Okay. Make yourself comfortable," aid the once young Charlie was in it, behind the wheel. He got
man. C_vnthia saw a tarp rouering some huge tires. It out. There were three Charlies, the latest one walked
was a little apart from her captors, so she decided lo up to her and handed her a paper. It was the
rperch there. he sank into it more than she liked. but Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for Saturday, April 23,
didn't U'CJnt to fidget. Her neck was hurting again, and 1994. 1lvo weeks away. "If you'd like, I can get .vou
she delicately touched her growing bruises. another paper. Just so you 're clear."
'Think I should treat those?" said Ray. "That The other young Charlie took a few steps
can't be comfortable." toward the uan and blinked out.
"Not yet." The gypsys words were cold, almost She set the paper down. "No, no, that's .. . " This
angry. "Charlie, get on with it." isn Z the abduction I ordered. She begins to laugh man-
The younger man, though, stepped forward. ically, then cry.
"Hello, Cynthia. My names Charlie. Later I may giue Through the tears, the looks of concern on the
ou my last name, and anything else you want to know Charlies were identical, and more genuine than most
about me. But first, its my job to tell you why you 're men she had euer known.
here." "Why-?"
'1 thought he's Charlie,'' said Cynthia. And the They were quiet. Then old Charlie began to
grey bearded Charlie smiled. speak, and _young Charlie stepped away. 'There's the
"Observant," said Ray. Suen nodded vigorous- question. What makes yo,i chosen? You 're a witness to
.v. "Eyes of a dolphin." what we can do. You didn ~ haue any say in that. And
"Quite right," said the younger one. k/'ll be we here haue to agree its all right to invite you. Thats
'blunt. We travel time at will. We are not the only ones, done, you don't have any say in that part either.
'but we're the ones that have crossed your path. And "But there's the last bit- and you haue lo
this is your invitation to join us." choose tonight- do .vou want to become a time trau-
· o. Can I go home." eller? We can teach you."
"That's a no... " says Ray, an eyebrow coming "This is probably your only chance," said
p ouer his shades. young Charlie. ''So take a minute. Think. We can
" ot .vet," aid the gypsy again. answer a couple questions, but only so much. Just
"Right," said young Charlie. "How do you think."
explain the man who attacked _vou, Cynthia. He She was still thinking escape, but what was
appeared, disappeared." going on? "W- w- would I be leaving mv friends/
"Yeah, and me on the stairs." smiles Lydia. Would I have go away for awhile, would-"
"Where did that chick go?'' "Not that anyone would euer notice," smirked
Nightmare freakshow. God, make it painless. Ray.
!I'm sorry. "Okay. I. I don't think I haue time for this. "Huh?"
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
' ontinuum to Cynt ia," said the Lydia on {lie "I mean think about it,' aid Ra)• energetical-
left. 'Time travel. Arrive before you leave.·· 1 , ·:vou can do this, what do you need-'' He stopped
..It's a lot to realize, all at once," said young himself short, he was getting loo/ts. "Okay. Further
Charlie. information isn't available here. There, I said it first.''
"Yeah, 1 need-" Cynthia blinked, wiping her "Wait." Cynthia's mind was speeding on,
face. Looked at the Charlies and the Lydias. '7 need clouds thundering away. "You can trat•el time, pop in
time ... " he pointed at the doubled people. "You- you and out. You can get all the money you want. Do what
can teach me how to do that-?" you want, pretty much. You don't need scientists. you
"Better-" said left Lydia. could just-you can meet Edison, Einstein-"
"-than sex." Right Lydia nodded. "Damn, you're quicker than I was." Left Lydia
Her mind was on. all at once. It was like shook her head.
clouds lifting. fighting Lake Michigan. X-Files? Candid " ee, you are good at this," smiled old Charlie.
Camera? Satan? Drugs? Dream? "What's the catch." All of the questions opened before her. For
" ecrec.v, some discipline," said young Charlie. several seconds it was just her and these people in this
''Be.vond that, whatever responsibility you can handle. n building under glaring fluorescents, while inside she
"For in lance," continued old Charlie, "Your felt the earth and sky flipping upside-down in the dark
father lost a leg in a car accident, Ma_v 17. 1992. You beyond. "How many. How many are there? How did it
wouldn't be able lo stop that, or anything you knew start? How does it even work-?" Ray popped three
that happened. How does that make you feel." 'feet to one side. Cynthia barked a nervous laugh. "How
The memory of the night slammed her from can you even keep track?! What does-?!"
behind, as her father's Taurus had been. The agony i11 "Are you in," said young Charlie steadily.
the hospital, his months of denial heaped on her. the "What?"
smell. But she said, "I don't know. Why not. " Right Lydia leaned close. "No more answers
"We'd gang up on you and beat you up," till you're in. Call it a 'catch·."
smiled left Lydia. "Well I-" I'm not sure I even like any of these
"But each of us expects that, r said right Lydia. people yet. "What are my options."
'7f we 're so stupid as to actually try and mess with Young Charlie counted them off- '~) You 're in
someone's story." with us and we teach you time travel and all the joys
"It's mostly good clean. fun, and we watch out and tears it brings. You will become an ethical god, like
for each other. At the basic level, it's a lot like Boy rest of us. B) You say no, we use our ample means to
Scouts." said old Charlie. "Or Girl Scouts. No uniforms, erase your memory of this night. You'll wake up tomor-
thank God." row with a couple of odd bruises, and wonder why you
"Of course not," chimed in _voung Chari ie. went to bed early. No weirdness, ordinary life."
"You 71 still be going around in the world, see your folks "111 take care of the bruises, even," shrugged
and friends. Hold vour job-'' Ray.
" he's still a student," commented old Charlie. "No anal probes," smiled the Lydias in unison.
"Right. All that. You.'ll also be expected to con- 'There is no C). '' Young Charlie folded his
tribute to time traveller life-" arms.
"Like?" Here's the catch. ay no. Just say nada. They're kidnappers,
"Socializing, partying, goofing off, gossip,'' said bad people-A small butterfly, deep in her bosom,
left Lydia. wanted to go on its way, live simple and free, die in its
'ilnd more gossip," said right Lydia. time.
''Lydia," sighed old Charlie, with a resigned But she looked at the Lydias. If. If this is even
warning. remotely real. What I could do with that. She throws it
'What," both said. away, this incredible, incredible gift! "I can i throw this
'There is a lot of that," young Charlie inter- away," slipped from her mouth.
jects. "Plenty of fun and games, sure. There's also find- 'That's a yes," said Ray.
ing a l'Oc:ation among time travellers." Before Cynthia "Hang on ,·• said the Charlies, and the old one
can question that, he finished. "Believe you me, we laughed at hi,nself. The _young one remained intent.
have things that need to get done. It's not a free ride, "Are you in?"
by any means." ")es. Just yes. Okay, now-"
Cyn noticed them all glance at the gypsy. "But The time people broke into cheers and
I is a ride," nodded right L_vdia. applause, made loud and brassy b_v the metal walls.
Vocation? ''So why me." "If this is some prank, I'm going to kill all of
"You saw a span. That's pretty rare. And we've you." she squeals over their echoing cheers.
reed amongst ourselves, you 're no idiot." 'That's our Cynthia."' cried left Lydia. "Yay!
"El'en more rare," muttered Ray. ·u u all!"
"Why not cientists, or rich people. What do I The gypsy is smiling under the veil, and as
i r." the claps die down, she strides forward. '"Good. Good
They all chuckled. Even the gypsy seemed to choice," she said, her accent less sharp. "I am sorry for
be smiling under her veils. Cynthia began wondering mentioning the possibility of your death . But the span-
about her again. ner life, it is dangerous. Even in our most peaceful
Old Charlie said, 'That's not how it works. moments, we are threatened. Even at rest, we are at
We're not some government program. No way we could war. Even asleep, we are ever watchful. Cynthia
be." Carmichael, born of woman September twenty-seven,
Chapter I: Invitations C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Anno omini nineteen- euenty-four, rise."
Cynthia scrabbled to her feet. The gyp y two
feet away pulled back some of the fabrics she wore,
Invitation to Dance
revealing a long stainless steel knife, which she
reached toward. Cyn tensed to run. Well that was stu- We are all born ordi_nary human beings. The
pid. me. momenr where one is chosen to join the ranks of
But the woman drew out a small, brightly spa nners is a delica te circumstance, to put it ligh tl y.
wrapped present, and handed it to her. ''Happy birth-
day.·•
Moment of Truth
"It's not my birthday."
"Oh yes it is. Open it." Not every acti vity span ners perform goes
Cynthia took it . and pulled open the heau_y unnoticed. People in two places a t the sa me time,
wrappings. It was a paperback. "God Almight_v. }'cm occasional accurate visions of the future, and other
people. You knew this uas my favorite part. This is my ' unex pla ined phenomena' are easi_ly exp lained o nce
favorite par/ of-" Her eyes rescanned the unfamiliar the reality of spanni ng is taken into acco unt.
cover: The Fellowship of the Ring ·01r A MAJOR MOTION And so metimes a leveller- a human th at
PlCTl.'RE "Um . Part of the trilogy... " Inside, it was knows nothing of panning- witnesses a span out-
signed by them all, and also by a mysterious ' '.
righ t. Usually it's a narcissist out mak ing troubl e, but
Cynthia, giddy with this insane moment,
looked the gypsy straight in the eye. "You're ·s·, aren't even so, th e Continuum handles these moments of
you? Why don't I know your name?" terrible su rprise and confusion.
"Of course you do." And she unveiled. It's called an ln vitation To Dance, but both
Cynthia dropped Frodo, but then recovered. parties have to be wi lu ng. The levell er normally must
"For a second you looked like my mom. That would be be at least 18 years of age, and possess remarkab le
too ... " maturity of mind and spiri t. And the spanners pre-
"Close. Guess again." Her skin was deeply sent have to make a judgement (or fi nd a spanner
tanned. fewer wrinkles than her mother, leaner, no who can) as to whether this levellers time has come,
grey. A relative.
or more commonly that means must be emp loyed to
Cynthia wa al a los , bul what was one more
hock tonight. The hack/ on her spine were bri.stling ens ure th e levell er forgets an d never tells of their
like fire. ·'J gil•e up{'" brush with spanning. See the Fourth Maxi_m.
"Gilie her a clue." The leveller who i offered this opportunity
Another Ray popped in, dre ed differently. is taken aside to a place ei ther ery fami li a r to th e
uen looked about. then laughed, and another ue11 leveller, or a sec ret place known only to the span -
was there. "I ee! I get it! 1luo of each, now!" The uens ners, but away from their corner, or home. In any
punched each others' arms. ca e, it must be very secure and private. A span ner
Cynthia was feeling a little dizzJ; btLt still of Span Three rarik is a lm ost a lways called in, since
made no connection. "I'm ... I'm not seeing il. orry.
Spa ns below Three have limi ted knowledge of bow
That doesn't mean I'm out does it?"
Laughter all around, even 'S'. "Dear heavens, spanning works.
no, Carmichael. But you will need to be able to count Every spanner present may kn ow the invitee
in our new lifestyle." and have even lived for lo ng yea rs of Age with the
Cynthia looked al the laughing faces around invitee's spann er elder selves- but they will not let
her, already doubling her ability to swim in this depth. on for an instant. On the one hand, the invitation
B1tt the uens helped driue it home. "Tu.10! 1luo! 1luo of must be pure: A levell er th at is bullied into knowing
eueryone.1" And ynthia started looking all around for he becomes a spanner a lmost always has menta l or
lhe other' ·. social troubl e later on, as it robs the person of their
Finally their eyes met again. The dark hair,
rediscove ry of free will. Thi is the invitee's mo t pre-
the accent, didn i matter anymore. he knew how lo
put mascara on those e:i•es. cious decision they will ever make, and to poil it
Cynthia's head turned, b1Ll not her tare. through arrogance is to spi t o n their humanity.
amidst the laughs. 1lvo pl1Ls two. he forgot to breathe. And on the other hand, no one want to
Nol enough oxygen reached her brain for a cond. and miss the fun of ganging up on a clueless member of
she fell back. This was her la t clear memory for ome the comer and wa tch them sq uirm before th e awe-
while. ome might of th eir soon- to-be peers. The hazing
aspect i ofren th e best part.
1
Nor eve r one gers to meet rhern elve righr off the ba r, unlike the rory exa mple, and w hen they do. few foi nr .
0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
The Perspective But an active and interested yes is exactly
The truth of time travel is rold to the invitee, what the Continuum is looking for. Out of these dar-
nd proved as best as possible to him. What is told ing individuals are player characters drawn from.
to him is mostly a matter for the inviting corner to
de ide, but much information is withheld: Events of And Everything After
he inv itee's personal future, for instance, are rarely The novice spanner will remember nothing
rt ealed, as it may prove too easily what choice they after his invitation, until he awakens in his corner.
ma ke. Certainly the physics and tech nical details of He will recognize all his chronies, though he' ll have
a nning are not mentioned. Usuall y the word a big whitespace in hi s mind with few distinct mem-
pa nner" is avoided as well. But nearly anything ories of what happened .
might be discussed, as an invitee that turns the
ontinuum down has their memory suppressed, and He will be able to travel time, however. And
ent back to their narrow life. have some basic instincts on how to survive.
_ _ _ Wt: _ _ __ _
__,_,..._~.Dace ofBin.h: SeP. Z'8. l'l 71
11
Da1e of Invitation: AM. ff
I 1/Currem Comer: "Cwo;CE HoPS
Locality: M1U&H11C.f€ Mi'i-'.'JldF raternity:_N_,{i_"1_ _ _ _ __
era: P,sC{[Af'I Sociery: UtJtTED ST/'.TES
B/M/
Your character's A ~ ~ M ~
Perceptive
+2 to Mjnd for for any rolls related to per-
ception. Optional Rule: Limits
Photographic Memory (see also pg. 10) If you feel your character needs a few more
The character has a total recall of past character points to be fleshed out, or if you think it
events or information experienced . For particularly would be a fun challenge to play a character with
complex events/information, or ones in the charac- some sort of disadvantage, you may give them a
ter's distant past, a Mind roll may be called for by limit. A limit is a detrimental modification to your
the GM. Any such rolls are made with a +3 to character. If you choose to apply a limit to your
Mind. A character with Photographic Memory my character, you may allocate either 2 additional char-
use this abi lity in lieu of keeping a physical Spanning acter points for purchasing attributes and skills, or
diary, though the player must still record all spans one additional benefit. When your character is fully
[see Span card, pg. 225]. completed, including the additional points or benefit
and background story, you must roll once on the
Psychic Potential
limit table on the following page and accept whatev-
The character has the potential to control
er is rolled to be applied to your character. If the
psychic powers; a Mind rating of 7 or higher is nec-
result of the roll conflicts with an already purchased
essary for these powers to become controllab le (see
skill or benefit, the limit takes precedence and the
pg. 114, Aquarian Skills) To determine what abili-
previously purchased a bility is lost or reduced appro-
ties the character has the potential to control, roll
priately. Note that while some Limits may be the
ldlO and consult the chart below.
opposite of certain benefits in name, they only cancel
Roll: an ability if their respective rules conflict (e.g. speed
1 Clairvoyance reader and dyslexic). This limit should then be
2-3 Telepathy worked into the character's background . For
Chapter I: Invitations c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
example, if yo u chose the Tough benefit and rolled ered an authority on their skill. The Grandmaster
the Frail limit, perhap the character wa afflicted title comes after a lifetime of using a particular skill
with a di ea e that left them weakened. Be warned and denotes incredible devotion and study. If a char-
that some of the limits on the table can be quire acter attempts to perform an action for a skill they
debilitating for your character, and a challenge to don't have, they may default to a roll of the base
roleplay. ability with a -2 modifier, so long as there are no
prerequisites to using the skill. All skills have anoth-
er factor, called a time index, which defines how
"One Big Score" long it takes to learn and improve a skill, this is
explained further in the section titled Experience &
When the ability to span is first learned, Learning, pg. 21.
there are many temptations to use one's newfound
power for per onal gain. To ome degree, the Taking Actions
Continuum agrees that this is acceptable if done When a character attempts an action, the
carefully and under the strict supervi ion of the GM may ask the player to roll a 10 sided die (dl0)
Moneychangers Fraternity (see Fraternities, pg. 64). ro determine the success of the attempted action .
When a new spanner is invited into the Continuum, Subtract the number rolled from the attribute or skiU
they are granted this privilege both as a reward for raring rolled against to determine the result. If the
their new re ponsibi(jties and as a deterrent to temp- result is positive, the action is successful. If the
tation. This sudden windfall via carefully controlled result is a negative number, the action fails. A result
use of future knowledge is commonly referred to of zero is a positive result. Furthermore, a roll of
among spanners as the "One Big Score". In a 20th one (1) is always a success. This is the basic rule for
century locality, there are man y ways money can be determining the outcome of almost any action in
generated: gambbng, lotteries, and the stock market C"NTINUUM. Everything else is a permutation of thi
to name a few. To figure the dollar amount generat- rule.
ed by this process, roll 4d100 and multiply the
results together (ldl00 x ldlO0 x ldl00 x ldl00). Modifiers
Write the total down on your character sheet under Whenever the text refers to a modifier, it
"assets". The Moneychangers fraternity carefully directly affects the rating of the attribute or skill so
monitors all such procedures to avoid any possibility modified. For example, a -3 modifier would lower a
of Frag. Any such undertakings not done under the rating score by three points, and a +1 modilier
watchful eyes of the Moneychanger are dea lt with
would raise a rating score by one point for purpose
harshly, and the standing of the perpetrator in the of determining the outcome of the affected roll.
Continuum is usually ruined. It is possible to peti-
Therefore, a positive modifier is good, a negative
tion the Moneychangers for additional such
bad.
"scores", but such requests are not granted easily or
for petty reasons.
Special Rolls
Resolving Actions On occasion, we are all capable of great
feats of skill, luck, or even stupidity. For your char·
acters this is true as well. To reflect that rare
Rating Scores & Titles
moment of extreme prowess or embarrassment, th
For every ability a character has, there is a
a few special die rolls that can occur in C"NTINUUM.
corresponding rating score, and, in the case of skills,
a title. The score measures the raw level of ability Victories
and likelihood of success while the title reflects actu-
When the outcome of the die is a one ( 1 ),
al experience. The title of a skill does not denote
the die should be immediately re-rolled. If this sec-
any formal title held by the character, only their level
ond roll is a one as well, the roll is a victory. A vi
of experience. The titles are, in order from lowest to
tory is an outstanding success, pushing the charac-
highest: Novice, Apprentice, Journeyman, Master,
ter's abilities to their utmost, or an instant of
Grandmaster. The Novice title denotes a general
extreme luck. Splitting an arrow already in the
familiarity with the skill, and an under randing of its
bulls-eye, or falling out of an airplane and landin
most basic uses. At Apprentice, the character has
unharmed are examples of victories.
gone beyond the basics and understands a specific
area of the skill and has a good working knowledge Graces
of it. At Journeyman the character is considered to
There are also moments for a spanner,
have a professional level of competency. At Master
specifically a spanner of the Continuum, where fa
the character is thoroughly experienced and consid-
not chance, has to do with their success. If the d1
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplayiog in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
Limit Table (or fifty of the thousand human 49-50 Allergy (major) The cha racter has a severe and
possibly fa tal a llergy to a common substance of
frailties that flesh is heir to) the GM's choice (bee stings, peanut butter) and
will go into anaphylactic shock if the allergen is
Roll: Limit introduced into their system.
01-02 No Limit Lucky yo u, yo u get away with 51-52 Obese The character is a t least twice rheir
ou t ha ing a limit applied to our haracter! previously determined body weigh t due to a
03-04 Bad habit The character has an annoying glandu lar condi tion. Movement i halved. Body
habit of the GM's choice. reduced by 2 (to a min of J)
05-06 Overweight The character i approxima tely 53-54 Mjssiog hand The character i rrussmg a
20-30 pounds over their previously determined hand. This is probably replaced with a rounded
weight. Body is reduced by 1. hook or some ocher form of prosthe is.
07-08 Short The haracter is at most 5' if a man, or 55-56 Sleepwalker This ca n prove to be dangerous
4' if a woman o r horter. if the character is not watched while sleeping,
09-10 Bad hearing -2 to a ll roll in olving heari ng, especia ll y if they Span while asleep! [see pg. 140]
correcta ble with a hearing aid. 57-58 DwarfismJmjdget
11-12 Bad eyesight ear o r fa r sighted, needs 59-60 Gigaoti sm
corrective lenses or suffe rs a -2 to a ll sight 61-62 Bad Reflexes -2 to Quick for purposes of
related roils. rea ding the Quick/Combat Bout ta ble.
13-14 Diabetic (hyperglycemjc) Th e character must 63-64 Cripple-minor Cane, limps, club foot, etc ..
receive regular insulin inj ections o r die. Halve movement.
15-1 6 Skjnny The character is 30-50 pounds under 65-66 Asthma Must ma ke Bod y challenge when under
th eir sta rting weight. -1 to Body (to a min. of 1) heavy exertion or in contact with lung irritant or
17-18 Addiction (minor) The character has a n have asthma a ttack. Second Body challenge to
addition that is not illegal in his loca liry a nd has resist attack, +3 modifier with inhaler.
no immediately physically harmfu l effects 67-68 High blood pressure If the character makes•
(cigarettes, alcohol chocolate, etc.) . a Blunder on a Body rol l related to exertion, they
19-20 Facial tic The character has developed a mu t make a second roU to resist going into
facia l tic. One of the muscles in the characters ca rdiac arrest. +2 modifier to roll if regularl y
face often twitches, e pecially under stress. taki ng medication.
21-22 Stutterer During times of stress or 69-70 Low blood pressure It rakes the character
excitement, the character stutrers, making twice as long to stabilize from the effects of
communica tion diffic ult. shock. [pg. 24]
23-24 No sense of smelJ/taste (anosmja). 71-72 Hemophiliac Even non-lethal wounds of
25-26 Ugly The character's features are extremely of less than 2 IP ca use th e cha racter to bleed, and
unappealing, almost to the point of deforrrury. a -2 modifier is applied to a ll attempts to stop
The GM may give the character various minor character's bleeding. There a re 20th
deformities (lazy eye, e tigia l extra thumbs, century medicines ava ila ble to lessen this
wa rt , etc ...) condition, and if taken regula rly, a -1 modifier
27-28 Phobia (uncommon) The character has a only applies to to attempts to stop bleeding.
phobia (irra tional fear) of a n uncommonl y 73 -74 Mute
encountered thjng or si tuation (sharp objects, 75 -76 Deaf
herma phrodites, zebras, etc ... ) 77-78 Mjssing arm
29-30 Mjssiog eye No depth perception , -2 co 79-80 lnfertiJe The character is una ble to
related rolls (ranged attacks, etc ... ). reproduce sexually.
31-32 Mjssing leg Movement is at one-quarter. 81-82 No bands
33-34 Mjssing Localiry Skill The character is missing 83-84 No arms
one localiry shil of the GM ' choice.(eg: never 85-86 Cripple-major Character is confined to a
lea rn ed to swim, dri ve, etc ... see Localiry skills wheelchair. But spine is intact.
pg. 21) 87-88 Frail -2 modifier for each IP i.nstead of-1.
35-36 insomnia Takes twice as long to regain 89-90 Blind (ga ins the skill : La nguage (Braille) at novice
Span. -2 to all Drea ming rolls, dou bl e the time raring if from a modem localiry )
index of the Dreaming ski ll. 91 -92 Old (60+ years) -2 Body. See pg. 143.
37-38 Phobia (common) The cha racter has a phobia of 93-94 Narcolepsy The character may fall asleep,
a common item (the outdoor , insects, etc) of the unwillingly, at any time (GM's decisio n).
GM 's choosing. 95-96 Unlucky Every time this character rolls
39-40 Dea f in one ear Roil related to hea ring suffer a a fai lure (that is no t already a Blunder), a second
-2 penalry. roll is made by the GM. If this second roll is a
41-42 Allergy (minor) The character has a n allergic et of zeros, then the failed cha llenge becomes a
reaction to a GM cho en substa nce that is fairl y Blunder.
comm o n (pollen, cats, latex) 97-98 Borrowed T1me The character has witnessed
43-44 Dyslexic Cha racter has a difficu lt time rea ding. thei.r own death, and has this in their Yet to
50% chance of complete illiteracy. Double the fulfill. See pg. 41 , Second Death. The character
time index of skills where reading is involved in may not adva nce beyond Span 3.
the training, if the character is literate, otherwise 99-00 Roll twice more on the Limit Table, and accept
it rakes four times as long. both Limits for your character. Re-roll a ny
45-46 Clumsy -2 to a ll rolls involving coordination. results that duplicate or contradict results
47-48 Sickly -2 to a ll roll in volving resisti ng di sease previo usl y rolled on this tabl e.
and/o r na usea.
=
Chapter I: Invitations C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
roll equals the exact number of their unmodified Action Difficulty Modifier Table
abiljty rating, re-roll the die. If the result of the re-
roll is agai n the abi lity ratjng rolled for, th e result is Action 2 or more rid es Superiority-
a grace. Grace rolls are th e result of unseen a id from below characters title: Automatic Succe
a fellow spanner. For their own reasons, usuall y in
the course of mending cau ality, another panner has 1 title below: +l
applied sentient force to insure the characters suc-
cess. Such successes can sometimes seem odd or Same title: 0
even superhuman, as they often involve the use of
1 title higher: -1
advanced technology or elaborate set-ups. GMs and
players alike will want to take note when graces 2 titles higher: -2
occur, as the favor may one day be called in.
Appl y an additional - 1 for every riile higher than the character· . ex: -3,
Blunders -4, - - , etc ...
An un killed arrempr at any action is considered to be l tide below
When the die roll equa ls a ten (10), even if !Novice, and r.he GM is the final arbiter o f whether an unskilled cha racter
the roll was a success, re-roll the die. If the result of has any chance of ucceeding at a particu lar action.
the re-roll again equals ten, the action is a failure,
and the roll is a blunder. Blunders are the worst,
most embarrassing mistakes imaginable. Nasty falls, Sample Uncontested Actions and Their
weapons malfunctions and self-inflicted wounds are Difficulties
common examples of blunders. I
Locality Knowledge: finding the local supermarket:
Novice
Types of Actions I
'This number i an approxima tion: increase in this ki ll houl d be roleplayed or described co some extent, as it has an effect on the locn liry it is practiced in .
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
Locality Knowledge Prerequisites:
Time Index: Special training, access to laboratories, equipment
60 day / 30 days and scientific libraries related co area of study
Description: Description:
lntimare familiarity with a place and time. A mix of The stud y of a scientific discipline.
local geography, history, politics, and folklore for a Example Specializations:
pecific place in a specific range of years, whicb can Biology, M etallurgy, Chemistry Generics, Astrophysics,
vary from place to place, rhougb usually within Botany
a bout 50 years and limited to one town or city, or
group of small villages. Notes:
Example Specializations: The study of science and the scientific metbod varies
Late 20th Century Los Angele , 40 B.C.-10 B.C. greatly with era, mainly due to leveller societal pres-
Rome, Victorian London sures and mores. Also, it is built upon the recorded dis-
Notes: coveries of the past. The listing for this skill is based on
The amount of time a character spends in a locality late Piscean study.
in day-to-day (such as it is for a spanner) living
hould be considered "study" of this skill and count Security
coward its advancement in addition to any time Time Index:
pent pursuing its study. 90 days/ 30 days
Description:
Medicine Techniques involved in theft and burglary, and their
Time Index: prevention.
200 days/ 90 days Example Specializations:
Prerequisites: Safecracking, Breaking and Entering, Alarm Systems,
pecialized training, access to medical facilities and Bank Security Measures, Locksmithing/picking
li braries
Description: Survival
Knowledge of injuries and di eases and methods of Time Index:
healing them. 60 days/ 30 days
Example Specializations: Prerequisites:
urgery, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Forensic Most of this study must be done "in the field " , that
Pa thology is, living in the type of terrain one is learning to sur-
otes: vive in, or a reasonable simulation.
T his example of the medical arts assumes a character Description:
learning late 20th century western medicinal tech- Knowledge of how to subsist in a wi lderness envi-
niques. ronment.
Example Specializations:
Observation Desert, Forest, Arctic, Hunting, Poisonous Flora and
Time Index: Fauna, Tracking
90 days/ 20 days
Description: Teaching
bserving one's surroundings with a n eye for detail. Time Index:
T he ability to notice and remember details. 90 day I 25 days
E ample Specializations: Description:
Ta rical Targets, Forensic Details, Artistic Derails The ability to pass on knowledge to others in an
engaging and effective wa y.
Projectile Weapon Example Specializations:
Time lndex: Young Children, High School, Adult, Specific Skills
90 days/ 20 da ys Notes:
D cription: A uccessful use of this skill will halve the time index
Pro ficiency in the use of (non-firearm) projectile if teaching a skill to another character. The teacher
·ea pons. mu t be at least two titles above the student in the
·ample Specializations: skill being taught, and the difficulty title of the ro ll is
Bow Crossbow, Sling, Sling hot the title the skill is being worked toward (ie: an
a pprentice in Biology is being trained to journeyman
1eoce title, therefore, the difficulty is at Journeyman). A
Time Index: blunder on this roll doubles the time taken. The dif-
I O days/ 90 days ficulty title of the roll is the new title being learned.
Chapter I: Invitations c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
ucce s (Ma te r djf£iculty) for every REM cycle of sleep
Quick Based Skills (about 45 minutes) .
•nus i contro l over sma ller, engine-powe red boa t , rh is differ grea tl y from Lhe skill o f ailing large crafr.
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
Other player hould fiLI in one of these clocks with a pen-
cil mark. In the case of a success in a skill roll, mark
Acumen one of the small clocks underneath both the skill and
Time Index: the attribute it is based on. In the case of an
Variable attribute success, mark one of the small clocks under
Description: the attribute. When all of the sma ll clocks under an
A profe ional , busines , or lei uie kill. A catch-all attribute are marked, erase all of the marks on the
for any heretofore undefined skill. small clocks for that attribute and mark one of the
Example Specializations: large clocks. When all of the large clocks are
Printing, Carpentiy, Car RepaiI, Farming marked, that attribu te goes up ne rating point.
Notes: When an attribute goes up (or down, for that mat-
May be based on Body, Mind, or Quick. ter ) remember to adjust all skill ratings appropria te-
ly. ln addition, whenever a character spans, you
may roll against his Quick score, if successful, fill in
Locality Skills a sma ll clock under the Quick att ribute. GM's may
wish to restrict the amount of such rolls per game
Locality skills are the sets of ski lls necessary session if they feel a player is Spanning frivolously in
for survival in a particulaI time. They are possessed an effort to raise their Quick by abusing thi s rule.
by most adults in any society. Your character will The maximum rating to which Body or Mind may
have these skills at no cost at Novice title (with the be raised in this manner is 7. For skilJs, you will
exception of their native language, which is known notice the clocks on the character sheet are divided
at Jouineyman ). Should you want to increase these by the letters N, A, J, and M. Each of these letters
during character creation, they aie considered one corresponds to the first letter of a ski ll 's title. When
title lower for pUiposes of character point cost. the marked off clocks reach the letter representing
Following is a list of Locality skills for late 20th the title above the character's current title in that
century adults. For description s, see the Skill List. kill, erase all the marks under that skil l and raise its
title to the next highest and increase its rating score
Drive (Ca r) by one. When a victory grace, or blunder is rolJed,
Athletics (s port of choice, ex: football, baseball, mark off two clocks instead of one.
swimming, etc.)
Locality Knowledge (native locality) Every skill has a rating called a time index.
Native Language (at Journeyman) This represents the time necessary for a character to
Acumen (job skill) study and improve a skill outside of use during game
Acumen (hobby skill) play. The time index lists two amounts of time, sep-
arated by a slash (ie: x days /y days). The first
amount is the study time needed to learn a skill at its
Experience & Learning novice level. The second is the amount of time need-
ed to check off one clock under that skil l. When
Throughout our lives, we collect experiences spending time studying, add up all of th e time spent
and add it to the character's age. Time spent study-
and knowledge, and the more we do omething, the
ing is not usu a lly roleplayed, and either takes place
better we get at it. Likewi e, this app lies to yoUI
between game sessions or when a character needs to
character. The more a skill or attribute is used, the
pan out of a situation briefly to increase their skills.
better your character gets at it. On your character
The time index listed assume intensive, daily study,
sheet, underneath every attribute and skill listed,
with little or no time spent on other pUisuits. It is
there a re a row of clock face . The e are for pla yers
reco mmended that characters keep a low profile dur-
ing the e times, as they ma y be vulnerable to frag
attempts. Ir is also required that these periods be
kept track of in one's span book.
Timing Movement
As far as level time is concerned, events hap-
pen sequentially. Under normal circumstances, char- A character may walk up to 2 feet in a com-
acter's actions happen in the order players declare bat stage and still perform another action (with a
them. For purposes of combat, or when the exact negative modifier, see chart on pg. 23). Should a
timing of events needs to be carefully played out, character want to do nothing but run fo r a stage, he
actions can be broken down into combat bouts. A may move up to 2 x Body (or appropriate skjJJ) rat-
bout is a ten (10) second win dow of time, broken ing in feet . lf he wishes to do notrung but run for
down into five (5) stages of two (2) seconds each. A the entire bout, he may keep moving at this speed
character's Quick score is a measure of how ma ny of for alJ remaining stages in the bout, and may contin-
these combat stages are available for him to act in . ue to move in a ll consecutive stages, regardless of
The Quick/Combat Bour Table shows in w hjch com- Quick, until he stops.
bat stages of each bout a character acts, given their
Quick raring. At the beginning of a combat tage, Ranged & Melee Combat
the GM should turn to each character acti ng in that
stage, in order from lowest Quick to highest, and ask
Whether an attack is defined as ranged or
them to declare their actions for that stage. The GM
melee determines the type of roll that must be made.
should allow around five seconds for the player to
decide upon an action, those who hesitate longer
than trus lose their action that stage, and are only Ranged
able to defend themselves if attacked that stage. The Ranged attacks, those made with a weapon
one with the highest Qujck resolves his action first, capable of striking from a distance, require an
the rest following in order from highest to lowest uncontested action roll to be made by the attacker
Qwck. ln the case of ties, a competitive Qujck roll only. A successful re ult mean a bit is scored, and
determjnes who acts first (or sim ultaneously, in the the number of the re ult decides the amount of dam-
case of a tie in the roll). age dealt, according to the weapon used (see
r.========================,Damage & lmpairment pg. 24) . Certain fac -
Quick/ Combat Bout Table: tors may increa e the difficulty of the action,
stage #1 stage #2 stage #3 stage #4 stage #5 but the one roll i all that need be made.
no no Y.es DO DO lf a haracrer i aware they are
0
being atta ked, the may attempt to dodge
:::;::::.,....
·--~---_-:_-_-_-_-:_-:_-:_-:,-;,__e-_-_-_-_-.,...._~
s _:_s.,...._ _,_
;~ - - -~-: s ;~s only if th · have an action in the same stage
yes 00 yes yes yes as the ana k r. b f re the attacker. To dodge,
----'y_es_____yes - - ye - - - yes ye the d d in hara cer may rolJ against their
L::::=======================::.IQui k. 1ti, r ult is subtracted from
• in case of a Qui k higher than 10, rerum to the top of the chart after 10 is reac hed to h 1. • · J · dd d
determine when the remaining action are. That cha racter gets multiple actions on repeated t e atta ... er rann • 3 negative resu t IS a e
stages. a a nu t th ana ker's rating.
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
Aiming
Example Combat Actions: Difficulties & Firing w ithout aiming is terribly inacurate,
Modifiers and incurs penalties to rh e difficulty of th e shot. Tf a
character spends actions aiming, they increase their
Determining action difficulty in Ranged Combat chance to hit. A character who is aiming a shot con-
Ranged Combat rolls, being uncontested actions, requre the GM to determine a
difficulty for the action. These a re some common circum ranees in deciding the
tinues to accrue aiming bonuses, even during the
difficul ty title of a shot. stages they would not normally act in, until they fire
Action Difficulty Title or are distracted (for example, being attacked).
shot attempted at:
"Poi nt blank" range (0'-10') Novice Melee
Short range (11'-30' ) Apprentice In a melee combat, the attacker declares
Medium range (31 '-50') Journeyman
their action for the turn to be an attack towards the
Long range shot (51'-100) Master
Extreme range (100'-150') Grandmaster
defender (along with any specific details). If the
defending character is able to take an action in the
Modifier Diff. Tide Increase/Decrease stage they are being attacked, they may choose to
+1 ritle:: 1 title mo re difficult, ie: Jo urney ma n to Master , · 1 ride::::easier, see pg. J 6
counterattack as their roll in the competitive action,
Ranged Combat even if they would normally take their action later
Unaimed shot + 1 title that stage. If they choose to counterattack, then that
Aiming (per stage) firs t stage: 0 is th eir action for the stage. A character may always
second stage: -1 title defend themselves from a melee attack, by trying to
third stage: -2 titles avoid the attack, even if they have already acted or
no further bonuses after 3rd
Aiming through a scope reduces range two steps normally have no action available that stage, provid-
Mu ltiple shots in one stage + 1 title per sho t ing they are aware of the attack. A negative modifi-
Target walking/moving + 1 title er applies to this roll if the defender has no actions
Target runn ing +2 titles that stage (see chart). Each roll made in a melee
Target not moving -1 title
combat does not necessarily represent a single blow;
Target laying prone + 1 title
between skilled combatants it can mean a short
Under partial cover (2/3 visi ble) + 1 title
Under heavy cover (1/3 visible) +2 titles exchange of moves and countermoves. Boch the
Low visibi li ty (darkness, fog, etc.) +1 title attacker and defender roll as per attempting a com-
Extreme low visibility +2 titles petitive action (assuming the defender is aware of the
Firing blind +3 titles attack and wishes to fight back). The winner gets
Laser sight (good up ro shon range) -1 title their attack or counterattack through, or avoids
Using the " off" (left or right) +1 title being hit.
ha nd
Distracted + 1 to +3 titles
Small target (2'x2') + 1 title Damage & Impairment
Sma ller target (l 'x l ') +2 titles
'Tiny target (6"x6") +3 titles C"NTINUUM measures damage to a character
Flyspeck target (l"xl") +4 titles in impairment points (IP). When a character suffers
Big target (twice man-sized) -1 title
damage, he gains a number of IP equal to the dam-
!Huge target (a bus) -2 titles
Enormous target (broad -3 titles age rating of the attack striking him. For each IP
,;ide of a barn ) gained, a one point negative modifier is applied to
Gigantic target (a skyscraper) -4 titles every attribute and skill rating possessed, including
Quick for purposes of reading the Quick/Combat
elee Combat Modifiers Stage Table and Body for calculating running speed.
1elee combat, consisting of comperirve actions, is not modified by title difficuJ- (Example: Joe takes 2 IP from a knife wound. Until
adjustments, but by modifiers affecting abili ty ratings. Here are some com- his wound heals, he will have a -2 modifier applied
n melee combat modifiers. to all his ratings. Additionally, his Quick is consid-
Longer weapon reach +l ered 2 points lower, bringing it from a 5 to a 3. So
horter reach -1 instead of three actions a combat bout, he now only
Defending wino actions this stage -2 per attack, cumulatively gets two.) This modifier goes into effect the moment
tracking from behind +2 the IP are taken. When a character has taken
pponent prone +1
impairment points equal to his Body (or Toughness
eapon is too heavy -1
U ing "off" band -1 skill) rating, he is rendered unconscious. If a charac-
ou nded -1 per IP ter suffers IP equal to triple his Body (or Toughness),
Higher/ Lower postion + 1/-1 he dies. Wounds aren't the only way to incur IP.
H igh/ Low quality weapon +1 to +2/-1 to -2 Fatigue, illness, and exhaustion are examples of
Multiple attackers + 1 or -1 per atta cker for or vs. other forms of impairment. Wounds are usually the
Fighting Blind -3 most serious examples.
Chapter I: Invitations C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Under optimal circumstance , a character Bleeding
outranking an attempted action or opponent's title When a character take lethal damage from
has Superioriry (automa tic success, see pg. 16); this a cutting or puncture wound, he may continue to
i not alway the ca e when wounded. Every IP bleed after the initial wound. Lethal damage is also
taken raises tbe number of tides needed for Superioriry. more difficult to heal from. Wound houJd be kept
For example a character who is a Melee Weapon track of separately on the character sheet, noting
(Fencing) Ma ter could automatically beat an oppo- how much IP are sustained and whether the wound
nent of apprentice or novice title. If he were wound- is bruise or lethal damage. Bleeding from multiple
ed for 1 IP be would only claim superioriry agains t wounds is kept track of separately.
those of novice title until his impairment was healed.
When a character suffers 2 or more IP of
Bruise damage vs. Lethal Damage cutting wounds, he must roll against Body. Failure
There a re two rypes of damage a character on this roll means he wiJJ bleed afterwards, forther-
can suffer. One is bruise damage, the other is lethal ing his impairment. Left unchecked (i.e., without
damage. Bruise damage is caused by blunt trauma, some sort of medical attention) the character will
asphyxiation, or fatigue. Lethal damage is caused by eventua ll y bleed to death. A character that is bleed-
anything that cuts or punctures the sk in and/or inter- ing suffers an addi tiona l 1 lethal IP at stage #5 of the
nal organs, breaks bones, or causes burns or nervous
system damage. It ta kes longer to heal from and Wound Severity Table
often requires medical attent ion. Amount of IP taken from a single wound
HP Minor Wound: blow to the midsection,
Shock & Bleeding minor sprain or cut. Anything below thjs level
of damage i not considered to cause any fP
Shock (tiny scratches or curs, small bruises, etc.)
2IP Serious Wound: non-viral cut or gunshot,
Merriam-Web ter defines shock as "a state
a powerful blow to the face.
of profound depression of the vital processes of the
3-4IP Severe Wound: non-fatal gunshot, falling
body that is characterized by pallor, rapid but weak
20 feet. This amou nt of damage will knock an
pulse, rapid and shallow respiration, reduced total
average adult (Body 3) unconscious.
blood vo lume, and low blood pressure and that is
SIP Critical Wound: near a powerful explosion,
caused usu. by severe esp. crushing injuries, hemor-
large-caliber weapon hit. A wound of this
rhage, burns, or major surgery". Some common
magnitude will usuall y cause permanent damage
symptoms of hock are nausea , dizziness, and faint-
such as loss of limb, appearance, or faculties.
ing. These rules are a simplified example of the
6-8IP Extreme Wound: riddled with bullets,
effects of shock in a combat ituation. They are for
covered in napalm (per <;ombat bout), rolled
game purposes only. If you wish to add a greater
over by a tank.
level of detail to your c NTINUUM game, GMs are
9IP+ Deadly Wound: LAW rocket to the face,
encouraged to research the specific effects of shock
This sort of wound is enough to kill an average
and injury. adu lt instantly... and messi.ly
When a character uffers from a lethal combat bout the wound was received per bleeding
wound of 2 IP or more, or a bruise wound of 3 IP or wound, and again for every otber bout thereafter,
more, he mu t make a roll against his Body rating to until the bleeding i topped. To stop the bleeding
avoid going into h ck at the end of the current requires a succes ful medica l skill roll (Doctor,
combat bout. failure mean the character i in Paramedic, etc.) or default. A roll must be made for
hock for ldl0 bout . A Blunder on this roLI mea n each wound cau ing bleeding, and at least 2 full
the character fall comato e (th.is condition la ts combat bouts must be spent attending to the charac-
ldl0 d ays and can be reduced by di iding the num- ter. Even if the bleeding i not completely topped
ber of days by the re ult of a ucces ful Dreaming by this roll, it still may be slowed to 1 IP every 4
roll; only one roll may be attempted to reduce thi combat bouts a long as the result is not a blunder.
amount of rime, and a negati e result is multiplied
by the number of days) . triumph or grace roll, on
the other hand not only prevents the shock, but Determining Damage & Hit
stops the effects of bleeding from tbat wound, if any.
Location
If a character enters a state of shock, he is
unable to attempt any further actions until he stabi- All weapons and potential sources of dam-
lizes. He remain immobile, and is unable to stand, age have four damage ratings, laid out like so:
speak, or span. D/C/B/A. Depending on the result of the ro ll , a sue-
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter I: Invitations
Result Damage Code the GM hould as ign the potentially d amaging situ-
ation a dam age rating an d make a roll for it as if it
0-2 D \ ere attacking the character with a kill rating of 10.
3-4 C The G 1 need al o determine if such damage is lethaJ
5-7 B or brui e.
8-lO+ A For example, Cynthia fall off of a ledge, the
For exa mple, Agem Sculder· pistols damage rating is 1/2/ /4 . Hi Firearm GM rules the fall as having a damage rating of
. kill i at J . He , making a Ma ter rated sh t (· I modifier). o his modi- 2/3/4/5, the GM rolls a 6, for a C re ult on the dam-
fied kill raring for thi hot i 6. He fires and roll a 2. That means the
our ome of rhe hallenge roll i 4 (6-2=4 ). Comparing this to the ·hart. we
age chart (10-6=4 ), a nd a signs Cynthia 3 bruise IP.
ee rhar ulder hor does a C result of 2 11' to hi target. Cynthia needs to roll for hock no . Poor Cynchja.
Graces, Victories, & Blunders in Combat
An attacker rolling a Grace or Victory dou-
bles the damage rating of the A damage code for
th at a ttack {if damage was the intention).
Otherwi se, a spectacuJar (and u ually dramatic) suc-
ce occurs as usual. A Blunder in combat should
mean th at the character is particularl y disabled, per-
hap lo ing their footing or hav ing their weapon mis-
fire or break. Very po ibl y, they wound themselves.
Bout 1, Stage 2
Damage Source: Approx. Healing Time"'
1
Mosr Earrh languages are adapred a nd u ed as imply in a rime rravel concexr.
Chapter II: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
means yo u appea r in an optim al spot to get yo ur
What are the limitations to bearings. Failure means you spa n in facing a waU, or
spanning? into complete darkness, or into an air shaft or other
inconvenience. But spanning itself is ooJy deadly if
one tries exceed maxim um Span .
Tbe Span table sbows the maximum djs- Bad environments tha t you can span into
tances throu gh time one can travel before rest, and include spaces barely able to contain you, and fluid
tb e maximum distance in space one can trave l per environm ents so chick it nearl y does not part for
span . Tbese limits are primarily ones of conve nience, you. Displacing powders is always questionable:
since a Span One can travel hundreds of years Expect to able to sp an into th e midst of a snow-
througb time- it wiU just take him bundreds of storm , bur not to displace hard pack snow on the
days, due to the need to rest. It's the difference gro und. Debatable environments are up to the GM
between Columbus sai ling to America, and flying to judge as spanworthy.
th ere on a jet. Ultimately, Age become a factor. There a re a lso deadly environments.
Higher Spans normaUy have access to Life-extending Nothing prevents a span into a furnace or a gas
technologies, since th ey've earned it. chamber. Outer space is the great constant, and
The time between spans is usua ll y no less mostl y kill s spanners that foolishly exceed their max-
than a hea rtbeat. While tbe act of spanning itself imum Span [see below]. Worst of all these are areas
defies the speed of ligh t, human decision-making is of heavy nuclea r or electromagnetic radiation. While
naturally slower. any huma n ca n suffer damage to tissues and mind in
such environments, spanners endanger themselves by
Teleportation lo Space Only spanning in or our of fields of high energy. Fields of
A spanner may travel through space at a this kind are rich in natural paradox which can tear
radius of mjles as shown on the Span ca ble. Spa nning a spanner's cohesion to shreds. In game terms, you
space a lone costs no Span, a nd can be done even ca n pile on the frag points just by using your ability
after a cbaracter has spent a ll their Span. to move wbile in these zones.
W hi_le this power of teleportation eems
incred ibl y powerful, panning time actu a Uy en tails The GM has further information and tables for dan-
travelli ng vast amounts of space, too. See the gerous natura l sources of frag, and how to cure it.
Spacetime Map of Earth, pg. 102.
Remem ber that the Fourth Maxim a lways
applies [see frontispiece]. Your vanishi ng in tbe midst H ow do I keep track of my
of a gaping crowd will keep many high Spans bu y
for awhile and they won't think ery well of yo u. spanning?
Spending and r rding an is done every
Spanning into a Previously Unknown Space time a character travel rim , \! hether a year, a day,
Spanning into an unknown space is as ea y or merely a second. Thi i re orded throughout the
a walking into a room you've never visited. Though game on the character' panning Card. An expla na-
it is more akin to jumping feet first into a manhole tion of how to u e it, and a py of the cards them-
with you r eyes dosed. elves is on ppg. 224-5.
There is no mistaken materialization imo Every time a chara t r travels time, no mat-
wall or solid matter. Air and Liquids part to hold ter how briefly or iono uou ly, the player must note
you. If a n un fa miliar space is targeted, the GM may it on th at character' panning Card. This represents
ask yo u to roll against your Quick. Success merely the careful records all Continuum spa nners keep to
ensure they don't frag th emselves or
=========== === ======== ==== ==ai
Span Table anyone they know. The GM is a ll owed
to pena lize characters w ho do not keep
Span Years Mile Weigh t Title ca reful re ord . These penalties are
trave rsable era versa ble able to deta iled under the Frag rules [pg. 53] .
w itho ut rest 111 one spa n tran po rt At the end of each play session , the
(in po unds) GM calls for all players to rec kon their
0 0 n/a n/a Leveller Age. Those that have spotty records w i_ll
In-between 1 1 10 lnitiate have a bard time recalling a ll their
1 1 I 10 ov1ce Spans, and earn themselves penalties. If
2 10 10 100 Apprentice the GM wishes, characters w ith we ll-
3 100 100 1000 Mentor kept records may earn sma ll bonuses,
4 1000 1000 10000 15 mas! Master raises in pay at their level job, or other
5 10000 10000 100,000 150 ron I Exa lted signs that the universe is smoothly
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
working around them.
Keeping close records is al o vita lly impor-
tant during Ti.me Combat [see pg. 117].
Regaining Span
This is done by resting for one day. A "day
of rest" is defined as one 24-hour period of regular
(level) activity witb no use of Span, which includes at
least one eight-hour period of peaceful uninterrupted
sleep. Use of the Dreaming skill [ppg. 20, 108] wouJd
be considered an interruption, though norma l dreams
are certainly part of peacefuJ sleep.
For game purposes, Span is not regained
incrementally, but all at once at the end of the
required rest period.
What about keeping track of The Daily Grind Stood panel from Blue l,ift gra phic nove l
ink. acrylic & gra phite
Sideways Ae1herco omics
Sagittarian Era
Leonid Era
c. 18000 - 16000 BC
C. 10000 - 8000 BC
A more noble time of
The time of the first dome -
Antede ert ium but determinedly at
tication of cats, and of the return of
odds with the Continuum.
lostrus (b. I 2 I) individual
Fronri piece id<t3il) to his prowess a a
I,utmct,on.s for P,gnmag~s
( 12972 B I general standard.
namz.ed graphire
Mus('um, AIC"xandria
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Capricornic Era
This era precedes 18000 BC, and
also follows AD 4000.
After 4000, Earth is entirely part of
the Inheritors and the vastness of
Civilizations among the stars.
Before 18000 BC, Ancient Eanh is also protected by
the Inheritors, but is home to host of incredible
Civilizations, not all of them human.
Further information on this and the
other eras is available to the GM.
Slipshank
Frag is never desira ble, but even the most
seasoned spanner is backed into a corner now and
again. A difference is often made when a favorite . Victor Beaurega rd Ho uston (b. AD 1857)
weapon is discovered hidden within reach, or a lost mum number of times you Gemini (AD 1892)
ma y ha V e met yourse lf be fore collection
watercolour
of Lise Lancomme
map is in one's breast pocket after all.
A spanner may find any known object to be you learned to Span. Roll the
wherever he wants it at the Level he's currently at. Dl00, divide by ten and drop all fractions. This pro-
This does not al.low him to suddenly having in his duces a result of 0-10. These incidents are in your
head new information or known skills, but can Yet, but will be ignored if you die before completing
include a Gemini Incident [see below], a future news- them all. (This is a game convention to represent
paper, or even a note from himself. The price is one half-remembered encounters in youth, and the dis-
point of Frag, and the need to physically place the guises elders take when meeting very young juniors.)
slipsbanked object goes in his Yet. Happily, success- If this number is ever exceeded, one point of Frag is
ful placement of the object by the spanner himself earned, in addition to any other penalties.
cures the Frag.
Note that the Continuum forbids slipshanks Known Geminis
to spanners with more than zero Frag [based on the Naturally, you may encounter yourself after
Third and Fifth Maxims]. A spanner so bold as to you begin to Span. At every increase in Span (includ-
slipshank when his Frag is above zero will take a ing beginning at Span 1), roll the DlO0, and divide
penalty equal to his Span on his rolls and Graces will as above. This number (0-10) represents the absolute
count as Failures until his Frag reduces to zero. number of Geminis that occur during that Span.
These incidents must occur before you may advance
to the next Span.
Gemini Incidents- Encountering Oneself Each incident, naturally, happens twice: once
Encountering oneself is almost inevitable. for the junior (the "junior incident") and once again
Curiosity drives junior spanners, and responsibility later for the elder (the "elder incident"). Only the
and necessity leads elders back to Gemini Incidents. junior need fulfill the absolute number before
increasing Span, but the elder keeps the incident in
his Yet until the Gemini Incident is completed.
Young Geminis
During the junior incident, GM portrays the
A spanner may not even remember his earli-
elder spanner. During the elder incident, the GM
est set of Geminis: ones that took place before he
reprises the junior spanner. This allows the player to
learned to travel time. These are called the Young
experience the Gemini much as his character would.
Geminis. In the game, you must determine the maxi-
Hegemony, The Hegemony n. 2. Used by ome to refer to the moment of as/as not [see];
The name by which many narci ists refer to the Societies. though properly described, the as/as not contains a nea r-
U ed derogatoril y. infinite number of potential pa radoxes.
pan
l 'Widdle Eng/is/, spanne " horr distance o r interval" < Old English spann < It's in April 1993, Evana is Span 2 and in an
Germanic spannon < PI E pen -ro draw, suerch, pin" ] irutructiue mood this morning. She has been showing
I. n. The djsrance of spacetime a spanner can travel safely Cynthia techniques to wa&h clothes by hand. When to
·chout rest. Often indicative of social starus and responsi- rue a washboard, earlier sources of bleach and soap,
iliry. drying methods. how lo use a standard clothespin.
l. n. A length of time used especially of the entire dura- Cynthia is coughing from the contents of a
tion of a person, object or civilization. rm.a canister from 1959. "When do we get to the
. v. to spa n. The act of trave lling through time at will. ~udo and all the action-adventure?"
~ost schools of spanner philosophy regard all of the fore- A couple fi.sts and a foot swing close to
oing definjrions as facets of the ochers. Cynthia's head and body. "You mean killing people?·
says Evana.
panner n. Cynthia steps back several paces. ''Well.
I. A wrench. Stopping bad guys. I gueBB."
-· One who spans; a person that can traverse time at will. EIXJIUJ span.a over and leans in close; Cynthia
ontrast leveller, above. Natives from before the Industrial brings her hands up in half-mock terror. "First, you
Revolution, prefer rhe related term spinner, as in a weaver. gotta know stuff, .. intones Ev with a growing smile.
-Woman-stuff. Oh, I know you can just throw dinner in
Up, Upward adv. he microwave and oocuum the rug once a month. But
11.ltddle English up< Old English uppe ·on high"< Germanic upp < PIE
not before twenty years Down. If you got goals for
po ·'under, up from under, over" I ourself. you better learn how to fit in Down there."
Towa rds the future from one's current place in spaceti me. "Woman's work wa& not a big goal of mine,"
Futureward. Normally capitalized to di fferentiate it from a says Cyn, noticing her hands. "My hands are blue."
mere direction in space. Compare Down and Level. "And if you get Down before World War II, if
ou 're going a& any kind of working girl, you'd better
"What rime is it?" learn that every Monday, your hands get blue."
This phrase, or obvious variants, is the main signal span- 'Tm a millionaire, Evana...
ners use to identify one another. The proper response is to "I'm a billionaire, Cynthia, Up in 2012. Put
re peat the phrase verbatim when asked. Levellers will act the lid back on that lye. Dry your hands first."
onfused or annoyed; fellow spanners will expect to lead Cynthia does as she's told. "I guess that
o r be led to a safe area where matters privy to spa nner trumps me. Wail on. Can't we just hire servants and
can be discussed without leveller scrutiny. stuff? lsn 't that what was done?"
Eoona gives her a lidded look. -Yeah, that was
Yet, The Yet n. done. When and if you 're Down there, you may find
(Middle Eng/isl, yir < Old English giet, giera "still "< Uncertain I
that there's only so much you do based in a hotel room.
Usually referred to wi th an article (the Yet, my Yer, his Or find yourself at a level with no hotel rooms. Or find
Yer, etc.) The Required Future. Each spanner comes across u need spanner servants than are unobtrusive for
di rect information of events that they have nor experi- the period. You have to learn what. it means to live in a
enced, bur wil l. This is referred to as the Yet to distinguish culture of master and urvant."
it from other, especia lly linear, definitions of a " future" or
"l&u will be my guide in all things."
" past" . "Good! And when you start resenting your
bl.ack nanny for teaching you how to behave, then.
maybe you 11 really learn something about this Era."
Young Gemini
Not knowing that she'd been dreading this,
The gemini incidents [see above] that occur before a span-
the whole light and landscape turned. "I'm sorry,
ner learns to span. leveller encounters with elder (spanner)
Euana."
elves, nearly a lways unrecognized for what they a re until
Eoona looks curious. '"For what?"
much later.
Cynthia says, stupidly, "Um."
-You 're still just a Span One, Cynthia. Unless
Zodiac, Zodiacal Era n. you start breaking maxims left and right, you can't do
(Middle English < Old French zodiaque < Latin zodiacus < Greek zoidiakos
kuklos "circle of carved figures" < zoion "anunal" < PI E gwyoyo I wiything wrong."
Twelve sections of pacetirne of approximately 2000 year s "No, I just,• Cyn stammers. 7lme travel doesn't
Chapter II: Spanning C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
p t e racia t mg oes it. "Tliere s just a lot o h isto- dle going any fartlier Down then. 1 was young. Playing
ry. Isn't there." the slave was not something Evana was ever going to
"One blood.v epoch at a time, Cynful. How was do."
your day today." Cynthia is silent. This isni the usual test, not
Cynthia has a hard time changing the subject, the one for a white leveller. This one's for a young span-
but then recalls a question she has. "I... met a friend of ner.
mine today? Regina. And I hadn't seen her in two "You get a perspective-," finish es Evana.
ears- I mean, she hadn) seen me. She said she'd "You kept your head. That's better than I'd
write, but obviously didn't, and I didn't because, well, I do."
hadn) met her! What are the chances of my {ragging Evana looks at her aside. "Cynthia, you are
myself silly by hanging around before I learned to Span One, am I right?"
span?· "Oh yeah," Cyn says, taking up another app"le.
"For levellers, these things work out." Evana "Just that I keep thinking, ever since I got here... and
rings out a purple silk shirt and hangs it next to an since that ... incident-" Her mind {I.ashes harsh, the
identical dry one. "Usually. You really have to watch images of her visit to her father's crash; still fresh in
out for our own self." She eyes her. "You keeping up her Age, she does nothing but watch in the rain from a.
with your span book?· hill half a mile away as the ambulance arrives and the
"Every one!" Cynthia doesn t hide her pride. distance fl.ashes until the local spanners walk up
"Good. It'll sharpen your memory, keep you around her. asking her her business.
'from messing up." "Well. That was natural enough-"
" till find it weird that I never even imagined "But my mother's father was a Nazi, you
spanning existed." know. He wasn't important. He got off. So all that
"What. no long folk tradition of strange van- shooting-your-grandfather... All the time travel and
ishing people?" Evana smiles, empties the sink. "'Like Hitler jokes ... .,,
vampires, or witches, or ghosts or faeries? Wizards and Quiet paring maintains the next minute and
magicians? Gods. angels, devils. and so on and on?" twelve seconds.
Cynthia rolls her eyes. '"Gahl Those are all Evana says, "Time heals all leveller wounds.
us?" For us, though, the bullets are always fl,ying. Here,
"They're folk stories. We don't even have to watch how I sugar these."
lant em, bless those poor levellers. Sometimes it's a "What substitutes for that kind of release,
handy cover, but don t bank on it. People tend to be Evana? For spanners?"
smart, and remember your Fourth Maxim, girl.'' "Most make Hitler jokes," mutters Evana.
They walk upstairs to the kitchen . "Okay. Who "You know, denial, avoidance, all the psychologist
will help me bake the bread?" says Eu ''Little red hens, tricks. Accepting history is the hardest test for some
front and center." No one else comes into the kitchen. spanners. It's how narcissists are born."
"Evana, when are you from? You have all this "I know."
housework business down cold." Evana watches Cyn 's eyes turn fey. "Hm.
Evana smirks and opens the baking pou:der. om.ego Up, see how things turn out. Watching
"Right here. 1993. But I took an interest a,r; to where I Aquarians celebrate is no easy treat. Mankind works
came from. That takes a lot of accepting to do. Hey, things out. Cyn. But where we're going gets some
C,vn, you 're female. Core and pare some apples for us." spanners more freaked than where we're from."
Cynthia listens carefully. and nods, but says, ''Oh yeah. All those space people. Yay."
"Core ... and what?" "But they're funny ha-ha as space people.
"See now, twenty years Down you'd know Once you start talking about them as time people, lev-
what I was talking about," said Evana, hands flying ellers get nervous. It starts making sense. You start
over the table, the ingredients. "Pare means to peel the seeing the subtle marks in yourself, in the children ... "
kin off with a knife. Words, how they're used, and "Inheritors,·• breathes Cynthia. "It's even a lit-
who uses them are vital information, and we know tle scary to me."
what information i.s." "Good," says Evana. "Don't mess with them. I
"Right." She begins cutting as carefully as she got in a situation once? Not my fa1tlt, mind you, but I
knows how, until Evana demonstrates. was present, and Inheritors showed up. Indoors, no
"Here. Pull towards the thumb." ship or anything, but they were clamping down on
"Toward my thumb!? I don't like knives that something. Anyway my Frat chronies were all standing
much, Evana." still and I thought it best to give them some room. So I
"Well you should. Most of the Piscean Era is picked up a crate I thought was in their way, and
about knives." dragged it a few feet back? And you know what ... ?"
"Really. How man)' Eras have you seen," she "What." Cyn is transfixed.
is more than half serious. History still haunts her in. 'They were all over me," whispers Evana.
Evana's presence. ·~nd they looked mad. I have have never been so close
"Well I've got some friends who've been to pissing my pants. They had me on the ground, and I
around. And I've goM about with a Span Three some." was not alone in my brain."
"How far. I mean, if you don't mind my pry- "Jeez-"
ing." "Don't ever move if Inheritors show. It's what
"Oh I'll tell you when, Cyn- Thats good, not they expect. They showed me what was in that box,
too much pressure on the knife- 1886. I couldn't han- Cyn. It was the whole reason the came, and my mov-
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
ing it nearly jeoparaizea me and all my Frat bros.» in you tliinking."
"What was it?" Cynthia leans close. "When in fact the evidence points to vanish-
"Further information?" sings Evana. "Not ment, probably spanning," Cynthia thought aloud.
available here." "That would make those Bigfoots Exalted. Way
"Grr! I hate that!" But G_ynthia is smiling Exalted."
again. I know it's for my own good but- "Evana. We "Smart girl. Where did you find her again,
can have all the chocolate we want, but what about Charlie?''
gossip! If I can't trade secrets with anyone, I think I "It's in my Yet. Laundromat. As pickup places
will go crazy, or explode in the ionosphere, or-'' o, it's very earl.Y 90's."
"Now don't you go joking about that." Evana "But, y'know, Bigfoot?" Cynthia keeps her
has a finger raised. "But you got it wrong about no gos- doubts. as precious stones of her self. 'The name is
sip. What do you think I'm doing here? You haven~ hokey, silly. And Sasquatch-"
been visiting to other corners yet, I can tell. The "Comes from Coastal Salish, saskehavas.
Continuum could not get by without healthy doses of Bigfoot was coined in 1958 by a construction worker.
stories." More accurate is the Lakotan chiyetanka meaning 'big
"Okay like what.·· Cynthia goes to wash her elder brother'. Their true name is the Ga 7iagadrrg."
hands as Evana finishes the pies. Charlie walks in "Wendigo, walker on the wind," whispers
from the hall to the living room. Evana, her eyes holding C:vnthia's like a preacher's
"Well," muses Evana, eyeing Charlie. "I co1Lld words.
tell you what Fraternity Charlie belongs to-" 'They 're not a Society, but a sparse, potent
"Uh oh," smiles Charlie. civilization, about 2 million years down. They treat
"--and why." each earning of a higher Span as a kind of walkabout,
"Uh oh!" he laughs. But he makes no gesture which is why they come up as far as here on occasion.
to stop her. Cynthia sees the subtle signals. Euana's They're good allies, incredible trackers in wood or
asking permission. And she wonders how often that's snow."
nece sary. or appropriate. ·'Shame you never made Span Four," says
"Charlie... is... a... cribe!!" Evana almost Evana, putting a hand on Charlie's shoulder.
queals. Charlie puts on a good face. "We 11 see."
That does sound too geeky for Charlie, thinks Cynthia is impressed, but says, "So ... all the
Cynthia. But she is enjoying the news, and hops up on gods, all the spirits and angels, are just us."
a counter Evana isn't using. Evana shrugs. "Eh, maybe. Who can count?
"Well, somebody has to-" begins Charlie, but Probably some are, probably most aren t"
he is unable to stop Evana here. "It's like a vast uncharted wilderness, Cyn,"
"He was doing library research for the post Charlie has the warm smile again. 'Vs Spans, we can't
office!! Complete nerd!!" This earns even more of a see so far, but we might get there. Marco Polo never
smile from Cyn. found the strange monsters from bestiaries, b1Lt some
"Okay, enough of my invitation. Let's just say were real. Zebras, pink fl,amingoes, microbes on Mars.
that when I'm not thrilling my novices, I deliver the We'll hear the stories, but we won't know till we go
mail. Up and Down spacetime. It's a mundane chore on there."
the surface, but being able to meet the same people in Cynthia still hugs her knees, but smirks.
a dozen different corners is-" "Okay. This is just the coolest."
Cynthia's smile gets quieter, and she hugs her "Yep, but it's time to pull focus. History pop
knees. "So. We just span around, and nothing ever quiz."
changes? We just live the same days, again and again." Cynthia growls, but pulls herself upright.
The other two have a good chuckle. "Oh no," "Okay. Hit me."
says Eu "No way. You'd go nuts. No, Cyn, you got to "List the Eras from Up to Down."
look at it right. You're focussing on your evil grandpa, "Oh, crap. Um, Capricorn beyond AD 4000.
or your poor dad, or even the next 300 years. quarius, two to four thousand. Pisces, which is here.
Spacetime is way bigger than that. It has Paris, and Thurus, 2000 BC to zero-"
pirates and fores ts and Egypt and gold rushes and all "Bzzt," says Evana.
the food you can eat, and horses, Cynthia! in every city, "Wrong and wrong," says Charlie.
and, and-" "What?"
"Evana!" chides Charlie unseriously. "You for- "Pisces, Aries, Taurus," corrects Charlie. "And
got to mention Bigfoot." there's no year zero in the Gregorian calendar."
That hits Cynthia well, and she laughs. "Oh. like I'm ever going to get within spitting
"Bigfoot! Sasquatches roaming through ... time... " She 'distance of Christ." She feels a little chagrin at her
sees the look on their faces, and stops laughing. own words, the talk of gods getting the better of her.
"Bigfoot." "You don't know that. And you need to have a
Evana walks two fingers acroBS the top of a knowledge of calendars. Third Maxim. Your gift will
piecrust. "All those footprints ending in the middle of get you around precisely in time, but .vou have to count
nowhere? Terrified homesteaders rushing out with properly, or you ?I record the wrong date in your span
guns to find ... nothing there." book. And I know you are very good with your book-"
"You laughed because .vou thought Bigfoot had "And we get plenty of Aries guests here." says
to be impossible," explains Charlie. ~nd .vou assumed Ev. putting the pies in the oven. "Not just early
that because it was never found. That's the old leveller Pisceans like Sven who are here for the strong liquor."
Chapter II: Spanning C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
ey. o picking on uen. .ve s .vnt ia. ve ers ear it. When they hear a wora with no
"And no picking on me. Capricorn, Aquarius, Pi.sees, meaning, the.v get curious, then afraid. The term ne
ries,Taurus,Gemini,Cancer,Leo, Virgo,Libra,Srorpio,S a meaning, and something that ooesn 't mean time
~ttariu , and back to Capricorn in 2000-year inter- travel. n
uals." "Yeah, but 'idiot"-?"
Suen appears behind Cynthia as she recites "Levellers don't know its not bacon!" says
the zodiac. Cynthia smiles up at him, and he sa.v • Lydia, spanning into the kitchen for some cold toas
"Little called for uen?" pastries, and out again.
"I am defending your honor." "How can she eat those things."
"That is good." Sven heads for the fridge. "Next time a leveller friend acts like you've
"Good Aquarian CU8p woman. Agh, m.v sandwich isn't forgotten something major, you remember this," say
here." He spans Down for it. Evana seriously. "Its one thing walking around here,
·11 you ever di, forget your zodiac, just glance with other spanners and their yets. Its something e
at a horoscope, grab a 1V Guide-" to avoid explaining yourself to a leveller." Cynthia
·1 always hated horoscopes. Avoided them. I siders. "You 're going to have to play the flake, soone
can barely remember what sign I am." or later."
"You 're a Libra, but so what, we 're all Pisces "I thought you were saying that with Levell
o the ocieties, says Evana. "But what's great about everything Just works out'!"
horoscopes is, everyone knows they predict the future. "I said, quote: 'For levellers, these things ~
". ..Accurately?" Cynthia wonders at that. out. Usually. You really have to watch out for your o
"No, smiles Charlie. "But they can be an iron- self.· Unquote. Thats what we're telling you about."
clad alibi, at least around this level. Any leveller asks "You have that photographic memory, oon 't
how you knew something, tell them you saw it in your you," comments Cynthia.
starch.art." "Yeah, spanner, I do. You oughua get your
"I oon. t want to come off as a ditz ... " one. Now we have discussed extraterrestrials, Big/l
Evan.a gives Charlie a look. "Didn ~ ou tell horosopes, and time travel in the last ten minutes,
'her what spanner' means?" if some leveller overheard all that, what would they
Charlie scratches his beard. That habit he think you were?"
has. Cynthia asks, "It means 'one who spans', doesn't "Flake," sighs Cyn.
itr" "A flake that's getting straight As," smiles
• ell, of course. 1b us. But since the word is Charlie.
used so much, it, eh, naturally has a leveller, um, con- "Well, at school. Thats easy."
notation-• Charlie moves past her, and pats her appro
"It means 'ditz'," says Evana. ingly on the shoulder as he leaves.
"Whal! Oh, 1 never heard that as a leveller. Evan.a mouths to Cynthia, 'I think he me
When?" here,' and follows him. Cynthia has a fl,ash thought
"Here," sighs Charlie. "In Britain.. That's why some spanner murdering Elvis, and laughs.
British spanners prefer the term 'chrony'- The Then stops.
Cambridge 1500. corner even. make sure it's popular-
ized-"
'Spanner' means 'idiot'?!" Cynthia is so What is the
annoyed she almost span.a off to her room to fume.
'"Wh,1 (U) we-..
'.Actually, spanner means 'wrench'," says
Continuum, and my
Charlie firmly. ·As in. 'wrench in the works'. Which is
what we are, luJeping the universe repaired, even
while it runs.
responsibilities
"Unfortunauly. to a kueller, a wrench-in-the-
worlu means a ,crew-up. So. Spanner equals ditz."
uona fold.a her arms, and takes in Cynthia's disbelief.
toward it?
"One of our owns even. behind that meaning,
'loo,• admits Charlie. ·Hes not as popular a, he might On the highest level, the Continuum is the
;be. but it wa, weU done." entirety of aU sentient life in tbe universe. Be aware:
-Well don.e,r Cynthia is on her feet. Her Most of life can span.
can. 't find anything appropriate to grab or break, On a more personal level, the Continuum is
and hang angry in the air. "We're these demigods, and the social framework that holds the universe togeth-
have to go around calling each other morons, er. This is not an exaggeration. As a time traveller,
[be(~• of this gu:,,r how one acts determines the very existence of civi-
-ibid ;you there was gossip. What'd I say about
lization, and life itself. [Cf. ' Continuum' Glossary
the power of goaipV"
Cynthia turn.a, a nasty playful smile. "Who reference, pg. 41.]
kills himf" Her tone is one-quarter serious. The Continuum is not a government, not in
They cl&uckle. •Further information's not the sense you've been raised to understand govern-
vailable here, amilu Charlie. ·&.d I said it was well ment. Spanners have formed smaller civilizations
~n.e becauae: We use the word. A lot. It gets around. across time, but these are minor political conve-
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
niences. The Continuum is all loyal spanners every- actions go in your Yet. Hopefully, most things that
when, going about their existences, aiding and look- find their way into your Yet will be interesting, but
ing out for one another, in concert throughout space- not coo dire. It's basically a cosmic to-do list, every-
time. thing from " Return JetSki to 10:30 pm April 17,
By ' loya l', we mean any spanner who will 2006 before Fitch sees" co "Pack snakebite antidote
help out his chronies, and follow the Maxims. Any before 2/2/1989 for trip to 1847" tO "Give redhead
that don 't are probably out for themsel ves, tryi ng co daffodils, June 6, enjoy success" can be listed.
manipulate spacetime to thei r own, very small, Limit- Anything you find out you do but haven't done ...
ed, selfish ends. Since they need tO hurt, even destroy yet.
others to achieve their ends, we call them narcissists, Failure co handle events in your Yet- or
since they can think only of themselves. More on worse, defying your elder self- creates paradox and
these dangerous enemies later. [See Chapter 3: the unwelcome accumulation of frag. Too much
Struggling- Narcissists and Lesser Dangers, pg. unhandled £rag, and you're not seen around much.
135.] In game terms, points of Frag accumulate on
Your responsibilities are spelled out clearly a spanner at moments when the damage should be
by the Maxims. The laws of time travel are laws of dealt with. A narcissist might attack your timeline
behavior. five minutes Down or in your grandfather's day. He
might attack you when you are visiting your corner
ten years Up. Your Yet will signal you at the time of
What are my responsibilities your Age when you should start dealing with it. Like
regarding the Maxims? the body creates pain when it's sick, your Yet tallies
Frag. (Note that the Yet doesn't cause frag, any more
than the body causes a knife wound . It just calls out
The Maxims are the rules of conduct we with pain.)
memorize [see frontispiece]. They keep us clear of
If you don't handle your Yet and your Frag,
the danger of fragmentation, or £rag for short. The
your friends have to. If they can't or won't, your
Maxims outlined in this rulebook are presented for
mentor has to. If he or she can't handle it, the
ga me purposes, but they are very accurate, and Exalted step in. You can imagine the social pressures
absolutely essential to the fabric of our life and exis- of the spanner lifestyle. People have enough to do
tence. without having to clean up after someone else. And
The Maxims emphasize, without quarter,
advancement to higher Spans depends on trust. How
tha t each of us is responsible for his or her own
you manage your Yet is always the first test of your
actions. And we are there to help our chronies- up worth.
co a very specific point.
Spanners are careful not to reveal too much
In game terms that point is a spanner with a
to one another, lest Life become burdened with
Frag of 5 or higher, who is on their own to fix it [See
details in one's Yet. To remain human, with a
What does £rag feel like? (table), pg. 54].
healthy free will, we do not cave in to curiosity
about what our personal fates are, and protect our
Serious Consequences friends from too much knowledge of what is to hap-
0
C NTINUUM is a game of social rules. Nearly pen to them. The preferred information-neutral
all personality types are welcome as characters, and phrase is "Further information is not available here."
nearly every aspect of human culture finds its expres-
ion in the Continuum. But there some things one
does and doesn't do. One always takes responsibility
for one's Yet, and the £rag one has caused. All the How do I keep track of
Maxims are written to emphasize this.
Having £rag means it must be dealt with.
my Yet?
But when? How is it that spanners feel these attacks
at intervals seemingly unrelated to the times and Recording your Yet happens every time you
events which require the repair? witness an event involving yourself, your stuff, or
anything directly involved with you personally, but
haven't performed the action, or the actions leading
What is the Yet? up to it yet. Completed events are checked off, like
the ultimate to-do list that it is. The Yet has it's own
The Yet, or the Required Future, are the section on a character's Spanning Card. An explana-
things you discover you have yet tO do. [Compare tion of how to use it, and a copy of the cards them-
Age, pg. 36.] selves is on ppg. 224-5.
If you see or meet an elder self, or hear of
things you've done but don't remember doing, those
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
AD 2000 you can visit where no (b. Vicmr lleau rega rd Housron
How can I blend in with AD 185 7)
one understands English, you get Recording (A D 1899)
wa tercolour
levellers? SOme small idea of what Spanners Musee Contratem ps, Marseilles
face. Before about AD 1450, no
one speaks Modern English, and a spanner would
Normal Life find it very difficult to understand its predecessor
Word of ad ice: Don't quit your da y job. languages without study. Before AD 550, English
doesn't exist at all.
Keeping track of span is hard enough with- Having a translator in the group makes vis-
out causing a panic among your old friends and fam- its to distant lands and places much more pleasant,
ily by vanishing from the earth, or hiding out with even more useful. There are some guidelines to make
this mysterious "corner cult". As a Span One, you roleplaying around alien languages easy- as long as
learn to work your old life into your new one. lf you yo u hav~ someone to translate. [See Chapter 3:
grew up dreaming about becoming a superhero with Struggling- Dreaming and Communication-
a secret identity, congratulations. Just skip the color- Language, pg. 108.]
ful costumes.
In game terms, this may amount to noting Wardrobe
down hours worked at a job or in school on your Word of advice: Too much fashion sense invites trou-
Span card, and nothing more. C0 NTINUUM games ble- including frag.
may emphasize realism, but roleplaying the office
work is going too far. A wide range of clothes may enhance your
social status among levellers, but is seen as excessive
Language for a Span One. It's wisest to stick to one or two
Word of advice: Speak simply, wherever you go. simple costumes, and keep to the specific day of the
week for laundry your corner has agreed on [pg. 52].
Span Ones will probably not have to worry Additionally, details such a jewellry, body
much about learning entirely new languages; no piercing and tattoos must be considered in the light
more than a leveller might want to learn a language of the confusion they may cause if they are seen out
before touring a modern nation. of sequence by levellers. Keep such things discreet
Lo the long run, genuine time travel means and hidden, (unless you like the drudgery of han-
encountering languages besides Modern English. In dling every odd detail over and over again.) [See also
fact, if you imagine how many places in the world of Item Discipline, below.]
'Bur if you're rea lly good ar irem disci pline, and enjoy movi ng objects arou nd time, rhe Antiquarian Frateroiry may want ro recruir you [see Frarernities, pg. 64. I
Chapter II: Spanning c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
find you. Span Fours [pg. 94] often recruit from
Your corner novice corners for their various needs. Narcissists
you haven't met yet can show up, with grudges
You don 't choose your family, at least not at fir t ... aga inst you that you haven't yet earned, trying to
make your existence a living hell. And any number
Denizens of curious visirors from across time may stop by
The GM will probably have one or rwo with tempting quests, and puzzles needing to be
NPC chronies around to spice up life around the cor- solved.
ner, and on adventures. Most novice corners have a
mix of Fraternal candidates; some are training Your room
grounds for specific Fraternities, but many have This is your own private space; most corners
novices who have yet to choose their calling in the don 't allow anyone to span in without knocking. It's
Continuum. here where your dail y wrestle with item discipline is
Especially if thjs is your first time playing held. How do you keep track of laundry, paper
C°NTINuuM, it's a good idea to practice spannjng trash, notes to yourself, and just plain stuff? Practice,
around the house awhile, get to know everyone in practice.
your corner. Relearning an ordinary home in four More importantly, this is where spanners
dimensions is a little mind-boggling, but it's the per- learn how to cope with running into themselves.
fect environment to get things right. Elders may abound at first, and all claim dibs on the
bed, or the clean clothes, etc. Try not to panic. Just
The name says it put the gemini incidents in your Yet, and span to
Every corner has a name, usually known some other day when your elder isn't already occu-
only to spanners. But if a leveller ever hears it, it pying your space. Sleep comfortable in the knowl-
shouldn 't sound too odd. People have been naming edge that one day soon, you'll be the elder claiming
places they' re fond of since they could speak, espe- the dibs.
cially dwellings. There are places in Australia that
ha ve borne the same name for 35,000 years running. Spanner Box
Names ca n be anything that inspires the The spanner box is a staple of spanner home
spa nners of the corner. Examples include "Forest of life, as it simplifies item discipline. Many spanners
the Euboean Satyrs"; " Bloodfist"; "Zero Falls"; have more than one. A typical box has two lids,
"Serene Mountain Lean ing"; "Wolfhead Sword dividing the top in half, or at least rwo separately
Keep"; " Ha nk 's Demolitionists" , and so on. While closed chambers on the inside. Its use is unique to
it's up to the mentor to name the corner, leni ent spanners, who store objects that have been brought
GMs ma y allow players to invent thei r own. Up or Down in time, and are placed in proximity to
an elder or junjor version of the same object.
Militia and adventure Novices needn't fear the tales of upsetting
Your corner is responsible for your locality, the mean density of the universe, or identical atoms
o r the area of spacetime around your house. While splitting upon contact with themselves. Your real
an indjvidual being fragged is his own responsibility, worry is in not fragging yourself. Spanner boxes
when major attempts on the Continuum happen allow room to place objects together, but separate,
around your corner, you're expected to be the first with the a bility to place notes or markers with mean-
line of defense. ing only to the owning spanner (or any clever
If a major incident of frag happens in your enough to find out).
backyard (attempts at dropping atom bombs, or poi- This means if you, say, span Down wearing
son gas on aJI your local 19th century ancestors is a your fez for your Zembo Lodge meeting, and return
good example,} you' ll find dozens of affected span- home Levelly, you may have find you have rwo ver-
ners arriving, wanting to know what the troubl e is. sions of the same fez in your room. Putting both the
Odds are, all of you will be fragged yourselves, and junior and elder fez into a well-marked spanner box
be pursuing a Time Combat of the perpetrato rs. is a safe way to keep from £ragging yourself by tak-
Th.is resembles the militias of ancient times, ing the wrong fez in your Yet.
rather than the modern invention of a stanrung Spanners are pretty careful about letting
police force. It's more based around the clan/famjly anyone see these sin1ple containers. Most levelJers
structure of the spanner corner (one of those " minor would ass ume they were jewellry cases, or other
political conveniences" mentioned on ppg. 46-7,) as boxes for valuables, albeit of specialized design. Few
is most of human exjstence throughout spacetime. genuine ones are ever seen by levellers. Sea chests
While hunting narcissists, or travelling often have distinct, watertight compartments. Many
spacetime lookjng for adventures is a perfectly legiti- sunken treasures contain such spanner boxes, since
mate pursuit, more often than not, adventure will they are so hard to recover, or spare from calamity.
c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The .Yet Chapter II: Spanning
Most of yo ur questions should be answered
Communal item discipline by a complete reading of this section (Chapter 2:
It's all well and good to keep track of your Spanning). But don 't feel put out by asking: You may
own bits of stuff, but what about shopping for the find that many questions are answered with the same
whole corner? This is where strict adherence to basic reasons. You'll £ind the reasons aren't arbitrary
shopping on certain weekdays and rationing start either, but part of the social fabric of the Continuum.
sounding like sane procedures. Some corners treat And so much gets wiped after the ln-
the fridge like a big spanner box; everything labeled Berween that even asking the stupidest-sounding
all the time. Other mentors believe that frag is best question makes sense.
felt first in the home, and that the way to a novice's
heart ... is through his stomach. Explaining the Maxims
Mentor Threes teach the Maxims to novice
Visitors Ones by repetition and example. Some of the basic
If they were unable to visit distant corners, lessons they aim to get across are on ppg. 92-3.
spanners would have terrible disadvantages, such as Reread the story segments to get a feel for their tech-
arriving in an ancient town with nowhere to live and nique.
a foreign accent at best. But tourists and travelling
merchants are known in nearly every time and place, Typical rules around the
and make a common and useful cover story. lf cer-
tain trusted locals take you in, your visit- either corner
business or pleasure- can go much more smoothly.
Accepting visitors can be an involved The following are pretty standard courtesies
process, and each corner has its customs, or lack followed in corners throughout the Societies. Span
thereof. Usually a corner would like to know the Ones get it drilled into them so that by Span Two,
range of time visiting spanners are to be seen about. it's second nature.
[See Typical rules around the corner- Guesting
rules, below.] Public room rules.
The mentor of a novice corner should be No spanning in to the parlor, vestibule or
informed of any visitors. One of the mentor's tasks is generally public rooms of the corner. Levellers stop
to send records of these visits- to himself. [See Span
by on occasion, so let's keep it clear of surprises.
3- Overseeing a corner, pg. 88.] Spanning out is always okay if no leveller is around.
with.
2 Serious fragmentation; hould be handled feels like?
right away.
3 At this Rating and above, the Continuum Dej a vu, partial amnesia, nausea, can all be
w ill not genera ll y assist a spanner to heal symptoms of Frag. A spanner i never in doubt as to
Frag. Grace roU become failures. what his Frag rating is though the cause can be
4 The spa nn er becomes ligh tl y disoriented in obscured by viciou ly lever narcissists. At higher
most moments of stress. -2 to a ll rolls ratings of Frag, a characters ense of continu_ity
involving Quick. becomes seriou ly comprorru ed, as shown in th e
5 At this Rating and above, th e spanner is table.
considered a Lost Cause, and even his The GM bas further grisly details on £rag in
friends are forbidden to directly help him his section.
heal Frag.
6 The spa nner is very disoriented, most of the
time, and probably should not be out in How do I cure £rag?
public, certainly not leveller public. -4 to
aU rolls involving Quick, -2 to a ll rolls When you have ca used £rag, and are expect-
involving Mind. ed to fix it, the best method is to tackle the source of
7 The spanner probably can't eas ily tell when the £rag bead-on, and handle the attempt at paradox
or where he is, and his memory is serious- oneself. Once the paradox is contained, the point(s)
ly impaired. He doesn't recogni ze some of Frag is removed.
important things in his life, and often Put simply, the causality has to make sense.
insists tha t he witnessed events that never To ela borate with an example:
occurred. Few return from thi s brink.
8+ The character can no longer be played.
At times it may still be encountered as a
shadow or phantom, but withou t
meaningfu l powers, or even physical form.
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
illiam ana Eawara
WiJliam and Edward are panner buddie
with their own place. They're both itting in the liv-
ing room watching footbalJ. William ha a cold beer,
which make Ed thir ty. Ed pan le ell into the
kitchen, and di cover there i no cold beer in the
fridge. He pan Down ten minut , find one cold
beer, and open it, and pans back Up ro enjoy the
game.
..He. !" growls Will, pointing to hi beer. "I
that my beer? You ju t fragged me!"
"Oh crap," grumble Ed, coming off the
fir t ip. Gue l gotta fix that.•·
"Ye you do and before halftime."
Ed carefully put the beer down in the living
room, walk back to the kitchen. He puts another
ix pack of the ame brand into the fridge. As a cau-
tion, he attache a po t-it note ro one aying: "Don't
Touch!! -Ed'' He pan Up an hour (to let it get
old), find it ro be the only one remaining, then
take the cold beer back Down one hour and nine
minute , and replace it in the fridge for Will to find
in the next few econd .
He to e the po t-it note away, and pans
back Up eleven minute - to avoid a gemini- and
return to the football game.
How's that? Unfragged?" be a ks Will.
WiJI gives him thumbs up .
..Just don't couch the one I marked for the
next hour, okay?"
"'Gotcha."
Will could tell he'd been fragged, an d could
guess the cause si nce he knew he had taken the last
beer, a nd saw Ed coming in with a cold one. Will
a nd Ed ar e buddies- these misunderstandings hap-
pen . But when fighting a na rci ss ist, you can't expect
cooperation in healing yo ur frag . You'll probably
even have to investigate where the incident (the as/as
not) took place, before you can fix it.
And you may we ll have to take action th a t
£rags your assa ilant in your stead .
A secon dary option, for th ose whose Span is
insufficient ro reach the so urce of the frag, or those
who can't discover the source, is to approach those
of higher Span, and agree to perform service for
th em in exchange for their help in reducing one's
Frag. The e services normally enta il blocking Frag of
spa nners who died before they could fulfill their Yet,
though it is often the starting point for new adven-
tures.
What's causality?
Simply put, causality is the "cause and effect" of the universe; how people make sense of the world through
everyday application of Newton's laws. You push a domino, it falls down, knocking over the next, which
knocks over the next ere. Time travel, as one might expect, throws some of these assumptions for a loop--
but causality must be satisfied to avoid frag.
How causality functions for spanners is well-discussed in the science fiction of the Aquarian cusp. Here is pre-
sented- with a great deal of detail- some of the fallacious explanations, and a beginner's approximation of
genuine spacetime:
...
Illus. A: Fallacious Causality
The most famous example of this is the "grandfather clause", and often includes the concept of a rime
machine: John's grandfather builds a time machine for the fir t time at C, which John steals and travels down
to B, where his grandfather is a young boy ha ing ired no offspring. John kills the boy either delib rat ly or
accidentally and finds himself with a time machine that will not be invented, and himself never being born,
and therefore unable to go back in time to kill hi gra ndfather.
This illustration postulates that with every alteration Illus. B: Fallacious Multiverse
of the earlier timeline, a new universe is created. This supposedly eliminates paradox, by allowing a violating
spanner free reign to change anything he pleases and enter a fresh universe more tailored to his Like .
Both the foregoing examples- and many other arguments- presume the actions of a single sentient group or
individual spanner acting only upon unwitting levellers and inanimate objects. This is not the state of space-
time, of course. See also Appendix A, Fallacies & FoUies [pg. 212].
This illustration shows the common belief that time travel would impact the universe in much the same way.
Every action, however paradoxical, would recycle back into the fabric of reality through some (usually ill-
defined) natural means, like a stream washing dumped poisons away.
But causality is not a renewable resource. Some narcissists hope- even expect- that the universe will either
get along around their desires, or some thing will stop them from playing with the universe, and no serious
harm done. "Events will conspire against you."
Events don't conspire, people do. What's more, events can't conspire and people can. This is sentient force.
The price of this freedom of time is responsibility for it, and this responsibility is backed up by the fear for
one's very existence. In this regard, time travel is never a game. See also Appendix A, Fa llacies & Follies [pg. 212].
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
1) Without breaking
through the paper, make a
A
very light scoring with a
drafting knife from A to B,
increasing pressure slightly
as you go along.
2) Now from B to C, make
the cut through the paper.
3) At C begins what is
called the As/AsNot, the
point beyond which natur-
al paradoxes do not heal,
but collapse the universe
instead. Cut this branching
area cleanly.
4) Now tear (not cut) the
page up to the line at D.
Fold at D, and curl the
peninsula of paper so that
it lifts.
D
Explanation
An instance of paradox begins (A) and either reverts to a non-paradox state without effect at (B) or it increases in effect
until (C). At C comes the As/AsNot, the beginning of collapse and the tearing of causality.
D is the Yet, or the Required Future [see pg. 4 7]. Before the effect of a deliberate or accidental paradox grows exponen-
tially, a sentient force is applied by the Continuum to stop it cold. Because of this, the fragmented piece of spacetime
remains a part of the universe (represented by the rucked up paper which is still a part of the page) . Causality crosses
over the fragment, just as our causality moves up and down spacetime.
A spanner who has created a paradox has the main responsibility to fix it in his Yet, even if that paradox caused him no
frag. (Note that fragging the narcissist who has created a deliberate paradox is usually fixing not creating the paradox!)
5) Never let the bit of paper be torn out of the book; it's a good exercise.
Chapter II: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Transfer (rag at the as/asnot-
Is it ever acceptable to lf the narcissist's attack hinges upon moving
cause frag? or damaging a person or object, move the object
back or protect the person or object before the dam-
age occurs. Do everything you can so that the only
Technically, spanners loyal to the spanner who thinks the world is different is the nar-
Continuum are under no stricture to not cause frag, cissist. Frag is the penalty for being so selfish that
only that they are responsible for any they have in you don't care what happens to others, just so you
their Yet (First Maxim). But it's a bad idea to take can shape the world to your private tastes.
this lightly. Fragging someone else will cause them,
and all their friends to come down on you. It is this The subtler the better-
balance of sentient force that keeps the Continuum A quiet step can often be much more effec-
together. tive than big pyrotechnics. It helps to think more like
Narcissists- spanners who are only out for a secret agent than like a tank commander, at least
themselves- often make the mistake of trying to for private Time Combats. For instance, burning
frag large numbers of spanners at the same time, down a village to stop one narcissist runs the risk of
hoping to shear off all competition. Nothing cou ld creating more frag than the narcissist himself ever
be more foolish. Imagine the list of angry, £ragged dared. Better to sneak a drug that will lower his
spanners from around the world and universe, with defenses before he attempts his fragging action- and
the single-minded thought of fragging you out for then engage the narcissist with the impaired abilities
your evil deed. in Time Combat.
The Continuum can coordinate and frag Oh, and watch out. Narcissists will try the
efficiently, with overwhelming sentient force [see pg. same nasty tricks on you. [See Chapter 3: Struggling-
57, and above]. This is the reality of Time Combat Narcissists and other Dangers, pg. 135].
[see pg. 117]. The remains of a known narcissist are
then scooped up by the Quicker Fraternity [see pg. Don't forget to invite your friends-
80], who handle any final arrangements. If there really is a narcissist out there who's
nagging for a fragging, don't forget that the
Tips on acceptable £ragging actions Continuum succeeds by employing overwhelming
sentient force. In simple terms, you and your corner
it's usually okay to (rag back- can gang up on a really bad apple and frag him out.
First of all, if you've been fragged, make
sure it wasn't an accident: Alerting a loyal For further information, see Chapter 3:
Continuum spanner to some £rag they caused shouJd Struggling- Time Combat [pg. 117], where the
meet with immediate action on their part, since it's combat itself is simplified for game purposes into
in their Yet as soon as you tell them (First and Fifth basic Stratagems.
Maxims). For an example of an accident, see The
Beer Crisis of William and Edward, pg. 55.
Second, research the incident of frag as ca.re-
fully as you can: too much detail limits your options.
(ti you know an event turns out a certain way, trying
to change it will frag you too!) Sending a third party
to observe and carefully report the events leading up
to the as/asnot is usually safer than going yourse lf.
Don't blame spanners who aren't involved
for resisting getting more involved: They have cor-
ners of spacetime of their own to protect. But usually
information is forthcoming to thwart a true menace
to the Continuum.
Ask first-
It's a common courtesy (and in keeping with
the Third Maxim) when in someone's locality to let
them know you are or are about to engage in Time
Combat. The Fruoe Stratagem in the Tin1e Combat
rules [p. 124] covers this neatly, and helps supply
you with local information about your target.
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
"The Repository " Colon, Germa ny AD J822 - 1937 Services for the Continuum-
"The Louvre" Paris, France AD 1844 - 2045 "D reaming is for humans. It is not for Inheritors, for they
have not the landscape nor the passion. This is our
" Musei Yaticani " Vatican City, Ital y 1503 - 1778 strength, our answer to the whys."
-Tjarapu, during rhe Turkish campaigns
Pre-Ariesian corners can be found in any culture with a
developed occupational system: Somebody in the city-state, The practical applications of Drea ming, the
collective, or tribe is assigned the task of making th ings. communication across eras and the revelation of
Corners in early too l-maker Societies tend to be sha red secrets from the silence are all that most spanners
with the Engineers. think of when dreaming comes up in conversation.
The Dreami ng skill is a powerful thing, and those
who do not understand it, both span and level, think
of it either as a tool or a religion.
The Fraternity knows better. We try not to
Chapter II: Spanning C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
qualify the discipline. Dreaming is the ability to Scribes as Dreamers of the waking world, and
work miracles, to enter another world, and tease respect their opinions.
from it the meat of concrete, absolute fact. What this Besides that, we have some opinions about a
other world means and why we are reflected in it, is couple of the other Fraternities. If these Fraternities
something that we should not ask. Anyone who has take issue or umbrage with what we say, it is of no
walked that landscape knows that it is too far to consequence to us. Debate is no more an issue than
comprehend. There is the sense there that a wiser arguing with an oracle: What is, is.
presence guides it. What that presence is, is not iden-
tified here. The Foxboro seems to be a pretty synthetic
The purpose of the Fraternity is to explore Fraternity. What they do is not hunting, it's trophy-
that world and listen to it. While in humility we do ism. Like a tribal show-off looking to take the
not ask for definitions, we take up the task of learn- acclaim, they paint themselves.
ing its complex and baffling language. We share our
notes with one another, to try to seek common ele- Midwives: Where do babies come from?
ments and form what paradigm we can of its When we dream, we don't dream with DNA, sorry.
regions.
We also police in a civilization without The Quicker explain their actions less than
police. Life dreams. Dogs and cats dream. Humans dreams do. When we see the dead and departed, in
can sin in their dreams. We observe the rapes and our sleeps, we have no great desire to pin them to a
murders, the thefts, that people nightly seek to per- card, or shove them in a box.
form . We record the unrecorded. We have taken this
place as our course of study, and we must guard it Personages of note-
from the actions of our kinsmen, who have the Tjara pu
power to enter, but not the courtesy to restrain their Born Arnhem Land, 12991 BC
actions.
This study will take our lives. Moreover, it Tjarapu is a shaman of a tribe active in Arnhem
will take us beyond life. We see people in our dreams Land at the time of the Adantean Councils. His dreaming
who we know to be dead. They move with a subtle skill is so great that he noriced what was going on on the
orher side of his planer. Like the leveller who noticed
difference around them, a restraint, like that used by
someone blinking into an empty room Tjarapu had ro
an elder to a junior. But they are there, sapiently
have his answer. The Councils knew, from an elder
dreaming. Tjarapu, that this was his moment. They went to gather
There are also few lnheritors in this world . him, and teach him spanning. In exchange, Tjarapu teach-
One senses that they do not dream as often as we es the skill of dreaming to the Continuum.
do. Perhaps they merely cover their traces, for it is Tjarapu believes that Dreamtime is the salvation
very difficult to make a dreamer believe a lie for of humankind. The on ly course that justifies humanjry is
long. to explore the obvious path that avoids politics and disas-
Our benefactor Tjarapu tells us some ways ter.
Buru and Karanda are other aborigina l shamans
of using the dreaming, but we know he holds some
who have joined the cause. Like Tjarapu, they came to it
secrets that he shares with but a few. We trust him
independently. They are less motivated to deal with span-
because of what he has given us, he, and Buru, and ners. But they span themselves, and often counsel young
Karanda. We are curious to find out what they wi ll members of the Fraternity.
ask us to do. Tjarapu is a rail aboriginal man. He has dropped
the ochre and pinfeathers of his own people, and tends to
[Ed. note: Dreaming and related skills are quantified for dress in flamboyant robes, with his hair neatly brushed.
game u e in Chapter 3: Struggling- Dreaming & He has a somewhat arrogant manner whjle awake, but he
Communjcation, pg. 108 and Aquarian Skills, pg. 114.I is always ready to teach a dreamer.
Alternate Names throughout time- Planners, Further information on this ub jecr is ava ila bl e in
Wizards, In ventors, $conies, Tinkers the GM's sectio n.
Services for the Continuum- " Parch" came to the Continuum the ha rd way:
The course of leveller rustory in the Societies play ing in the rea lm of the Inherito rs.
is the measured developments- and regressions- of She was a Rosie-the- Ri veter during WWil, and
her jo b was welding a nd spott.ing fighter fu selages at a
technical skill. Cultures are rel ative, including our
secret Ford-run plant in the Texas pan ha ndl e. One after-
own, but in the levels of the Societies ca use can pre-
noon, in late 1943, she coming back from a lunchtime
cede effect. Even we mu st respect thj s N ewtonian stretch o n the campus, when she saw covered flatbeds rush
truth as we cautiously fix the tools a nd macrunes in from the djrecrio n of the dese rt, a nd park in a hangar
spanners take with them on th eir so journs. under heavy gua rd .
arable among rhe Foxhorn is Mahavira, the " Horse God Thunders" Urudolyan Foothills (Russia)
loya l ca retake r of rh e main lodge of the London loca liry. 5746 - 5570 BC
He i privy to many sec rets of rhe Fraterniry a nd a highl y
capable span ner a nd drea mer in his own right. Ir is " Heron lakes lodge" Ohio Valley AD 106 - 1244
rumo red he may be behind much o f rhe interna l security of
rhe Fraternity, and is known to ha ve ties to his native "CIA Hea dqu arters" Washington, DC AD 1947 - 20 70
India, the va ri o u princely courts there a nd possibly the
Thugee cults.
In the chaos of the rime, what with the war of Selected Main Corners:
Llewellyn the Grear with the English, she never was sure "Hearts Singing" Well-woman Clinic in West London
quite when. Ir is rumored that the Scribes found out, with 1985 - 2010
some difficulty, bur they are nor advertising the informa-
tion. After he achieved Span 2 and attended to certain "The iagara Twelve" Planned Parenthood, Buffalo, NY
matters in her Yet, she dealt with th.is problem by staying 1972 - 2018 (Has more than twelve spanner )
well away from both the time and the place. (" Filthy, the
twelfth century, filthy, my girl," she is apt to say if "Kali Yuga Moksha" Chattisgarhi, India 1582 - 2000
pressed.)
Considering her position of authority among the Ariesian and pre-Ariesian corners can be found in any
Midwives, it is fitting that her Invitation came about organized fertility cult around the world.
because of her skill as a healer and hedge-witch. It came
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
amounts of capital, be it currency or other resources.
Capital that won't get traced back to them, and
won't get targeted for a Hit and Run by some
Narcissist strung out on Frag. We make that happen
too. We make sure that your plunge into the New
York Stock Exchange in 1985 doesn't tumble the
market before it is supposed to crash in 1987, or
your planned trade expedition to China doesn't out-
shine the Polo family.
And we make sure that your own little ven-
tures don't get you in trouble with the tax.man,
because they are around almost as long as the
Societies themselves. Look at what happened with
Capone ...
But we are more than just bean-counters and
bank tellers, despite what the Scribes think. What we
provide is the concept of value to the Societies. Take
out some money. Not much, right? A bauble of some
sort, with some intricate artwork, but not something
you would put on your wall. However, it has more
Moneychangers value than you can possibly imagine. It is a medium
[n. Middle English moneye + changen (moneye < Latin of exchange. It is an idea, a concept that far exceeds
moneta " money. mint" < Monera Juno, whose temple the value of what it is made, of what paper or metal
housed the mint) + (changen < Old French changier < Late of which it is printed or cast.
Latin cambiare < Celtic camb "exchange" < "a turning" < Art, if you want. Except you can buy dinner
PIE kambo "crooked"< skamb "a curve, bend " )] with it.
The moment that levellers developed money,
Overview- they could hold higher concepts in their mind, that
Moneychangers handle the ebb and flow of they could bridge the gap between value of an object
finance and commerce throughout the Societies. or idea to themselves, and value to others. It is a
Their ranks consist of accountants, tax.men, crime means to interact with other people easily, for them-
bosses, and all others that have an interest in the selves and others to get what they need and want, to
workings of money and trade in the Societies. create something that is bigger than the sum of its
parts. It is perceived to have value because it repre-
Alternate Names throughout time- Brokers, sents gold, silver. or the backing and good faith of a
Benchrnen great nation. It is abstract. It is thinking outside the
box.
Symbol: The Sun Bull- And at that moment, everyone started think-
The Bull (or Cow) is the most ancient sym- ing not just of "me", but of "we".
bol of wealth and prosperity: The fruits of the Eanh. ' It's a promise, a promise that you can take
The Sun is the energy that makes the fruitful Earth these coins or slips of paper and exchange them for
possible. The buffalo hunt, the Aphis bull and the food you eat, the home you Live in, and a mil-
Hathor goddess, the gold coin and the bull market. lion other things you want or need. You and others
could take the current of money, the currency, and
Services for the Continuum- cause it to flow to another, and another, and another.
AJJ these people interacting, all building upon one
" If there's an intrusion, I' ll pay back ten times my another, all trading and profiting, because they
consu lting fee ... ten thousand years from now." stopped thinking "me" and started thinking "we".
- Gregory Benford , Deep Time.
recounting a promise ro ongress. AD I 990. All because of commerce. It is because of us that
nations interact and people trade, instead of taking
Face it. Despite what everyone says, one of what they want and descending into chaos.
the first things a spanner wants to do when first left The Thespians sometimes act as our public
to his own devices is become rich. Not visit his long- face, playing the Franco di Medici, Nelson
lost grandfather in disguise, or witness the JFK Rockefeller, or Richard Branson as needed. The
shooting, but get their "One Big Score" [pg. 14] and Antiquarians, despite disagreeing with our views on
become stone wealthy. Anyone that says otherwise is objects d'art, give us specialty items to work with,
probably a narcissist or a liar. commodities to trade throughout the Societies. They
We make it happen. create value with the rarity of objects. How many
Spanners have projects that need large Ming vases are there floating around? Not a lot,
Chapter Il: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
which makes them valuable. Politics and money go Some lesser business:
hand and hand, so Foxhorn knows us well . We are The Moneychangers get along well enough
the grease in the wheels. We make the world go with the Engineers and the Physicians; much of the
around. advances that technology and medicine take at the
The Moneychangers are the keepers of last 150 years of the Piscean Era are due to competi-
peace, the ones that make sure everyone plays njce in tion, commerce, and the infusion of vast resources
the playground of commerce and trade, and by into those fields.
extension, the Societies. The Societies are so ground-
ed in commerce, playing around with it can hurt a We tend to ally with the Scribes when deal-
lot of people. We are the internal auditors, makjng ing with research into financial and commercial mat-
ure that all the columns add up, for our own sakes. ters: the Scribes are a good resource to check your
We have our finger in every pie too, and we don't own records.
want it cut off when someone tried to take a slice ...
And true, we may not be the flashiest of the For some reason, the Moneychangers, espe-
Fraternities, or appear to be the toughest. But how cially those of high Span, involve themselves with
do you think the Thespians pay for those parties or both the Quicker and Foxboro more than others
Foxhorn buys all those guns to hunt narcissists? And would feel comfortable in knowing.
would you Like to start trouble with a corner of
crime bosses, robber barons, frontier traders, corpo- Personage of note-
rate anorneys, and taxmen? Jared Page, Stockbroker
Born New York, AD 1893
We write the checks around here.
Jared Page is our best example of what we call
Areas of dispute and alliance with other "Eliminator of Competition ". Ultimately, his views are in
Fraterruties- line with the safety of the Continuum and the Societies,
Main conflicts: and he has done a great deal to insure this safety, but
some, including his own ream of "Wolves", consider some
Versus the Antiquarians over the value of Wealth-
of his actions extreme and callous. His view of the matter
Wealth. Mankind fantasizes about it even is this, as put in the minutes of the last board meeting of
before old Antedesertium. And never mmd the the 20th Century: "No one objects when your money is
Continuum handing you a stack of biJJs at the get- safe, the Societies are stable, and Narcissists are not beat-
go. Wealth remains Man's oldest dream, panning or ing down you.r corner and £ragging you out of existence.
not spanrung. Some call us the 'youngest Fraternity " Why do you object when I do what is necessary to assure
because money was "invented" in 550 BC. But this safety?"
Mankind's dreams of Wealth are far older than cash Jared was fresh out of high school when he
itself. became a runner for the New York Stock Exchange. It was
hectic, but he loved it. For once in his life, he cou ld be part
Note our emphasis: Mankind's dreams.
of something important, in an environment that was noth-
Luxuries have always held great value ing like the Bowery he grew up in and struggled to leave.
throughout the Societies. The debate gees real when This place, the Exchange, was where money was being
you consider that one man's treasure is another made. and he was a part of it, if only a small part. Soon,
man 's trash. Is something valuable simply because it he became a broker, moving money about, making a dif-
is curious and rare, or is it valuable because someone ference, bur knowing that he was always on the edge of
has perceived it to have a value and has assigned a omething important.
worth to it? But worth to one owner alone borders In 1912 Jared watched his own work suffer. He
on irrelevance, even narcissism. Knowing the worth would be slow to place orders, to keep things straight, and
he came clo e to losing his clients and job. He developed
that others will pay is the road to Wealth .
splitting headaches and fought to keep his thoughts
Everywhere, people have unused stuff in straight as he experienced deja vu and disorientation. One
their storage bins, garages, and attics. They call it afternoon just as the closing bell rung, Jared rook a nap in
trash and set aside cleaning days to throw it away. a back room, trying to clear out the cobwebs.
Yet other people scramble to own the exact same When he woke, he realized he had slept for
things, and pay exorbitant amounts of money for hours. Getting up, Jared heard noises coming from another
them. The view of the Moneychangers, therefore, is office. Peeking in, he saw a dark-bai.red man in a suit
that exchange of commodities, whether art, perish- thumbing through a set of files frantically, glancing around
able or utterly rare will only be as valuable as the nervously. Jared ca lled out to him, startli.ng the man. The
man seemed confused by all this, losing track of wbat file
market demands- thus Wealth is defined only in the
he was looking for, stammering in some blend of English
widest of socia l terms. Not unlike the Continuum and gibberish about "the Hegemony" and "getting what
itself. The Antiquarians would narrow Wealth to a was rightfully mine". This went on for a few minutes,
case-by-case basis, and absurdly dissolve any real Jared and the man confused, until Jared watched rwo men
means of comparison. appea r from nowhere berween them and beat the man
senseless. Terrified, Jared ran from the building, knocking
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
over the night watchman from behind and continuing to " Bull Market" Manhattan Financial District AD 1884 - 2058
run until he collapsed.
Strangely, the moment the dark-haired man fell to "Whalton " Philadelphia AD 1883 - 2077
his knees, seemingly dead. Jared felt a great weight Lifted
from his shoulders. It was as though some of cobwebs and "South Seas Bubble" London AD 1711 - 1784
fog cleared themselves. Jared walked around for a bit
before going back to his apartment. He didn't know what "Fortress Hanseatic" Visby, German y AD 1043 - 1277
to make of the two men appearing out of thin air: He did-
n't touch strong drink like many other brokers. He knew "Ca pitulus" Rome. 69 BC - AD 247
was that for all his terror, he felt better than he had for a
long time. Jared returned to his apartment, hoping that Pre-Ariesian earners are seasonal, placed around ha rvest
sleeping in his own bed wou ld help. time. A number of these were in areas that would give rise
Late that night, Jared awoke to a man choking to extended family or clan situations in the future such as
him and holding a knife to his neck. It was the sa me man Celtia or India, allowing many people to gather at once
from the Exchange, sort of. He was pale and disheveled, and trade goods .
and the fact that Jared could Litera lly see through his eye-
sockets to the other side of the room unnerved and fright-
ened him. He struggled, trying to twist the insane man off
of him , when he drove the knife forward in a desperate
thrust. The man fell to his knees, dragging himself down
Jared's body. Jared pushed the dying man away, and
looked at the blood he got all over himself.
.....___ Jared looked around, first to the knife sticking
out of the man's neck to the man himself who was almost
transparent at this point, to the man who appeared in front of
him. He was olive-skinned, well-dressed. And utterly calm
about the fact that Jared had just murdered a man.
"Mr. Page. I assume you fee l better?"
Jared paused, realizing that the man was correct:
The fuzziness in his head had dissolved again.
Shortly, another ma n appeared out of thin air.
One of the same ones from the Exchange except that he
was in different clothing, had a different haircut, and less
gray hair that he did an hour ago.
"Well , Mr. Page," the man from the Exchange
said, "you certainly know how to get started on the job
early. You always wanted to be part of something big.
Here's your chance."
Areas of dispute and alliance with other Except for this debate, no one much likes to
Fraternities- argue with the Quicker, which we take as a sign of
Main conflicts: the success of our endeavors.
Versus the Foxhorn over the importance of Death-
Death is permanent loss of sentient force. Personages of note-
Death means to be forgotten in eternity. We deal Franklin Stuart
with the Dead every day of our Ages, because the Born Danville, Virginia, AD 1893
Yet draws errant spanners on, even after their hearts
stop beating or their fragmentation has exceeded the Grandson of a freed slave, Franklin's perspective
realm of the coherent. has allowed him to develop one of the fraternity's most
Death is valuable in its expression of an popular philosophies. Called 'Giving Up the Ghost', this
event. Distinct from other events in that it represents school encourages bringing recalcitrant spanners with a
fatal amount of frag to settle down.
the final point where sentience and the Yet coexist.
Whether it's organizing a revival, casting out
Put simply, beyond the point of Death, sentience is demons, or leading a celebratory funeral parade, Father
moot. Stuart is always calling upon a fragged individual to come
To gad about as a disembodied ball of ener- forth and settle down nearby. The combination of Stuart's
gy is to do so at the whim of others, as the existence strong but random telepathic calls into the area, and the
of Vessels makes abundantly clear. Only individuals familiar sights of ordinary people gathered for a spiritual
who are fragged- especially those who have died purpose, attracts those too badly fragged to make deci-
with substantial parts of their Yets unfinished- meet sions for themselves. Quicker are always on hand to take
the fate of becoming an apparition. In this state, the the damaged being to Cold Storage, and keeping the
promise of peace.
awareness seeks a release. Remembering its lost sen-
On rare occasions, this technique can even save
tient force, it may try to affect its surround, only spanners from the brink. At Span Two, Franklin had been
making its existence worse. very badly fragged. An Aquarian came, and just sang to
The Foxhorn's argument for what consti- him for an hour. He got his head together, and found the
tutes Death is very colorful. Full of blood and guts, mental stability to think his way back from the brink. [See
very Foxhorn, all the way. Unfortunately, it com- Chapter 3: Struggling- Madness and Related Problems,
pletely overlooks time travel. This is an oversight pg. 138.] It was shortly after this incident that he began
none of us can afford, especially on such a serious experimenting with the dead and fragged, and fell in with
subject. the Quicker.
'Giving Up the Ghost' is based not so much on
Where and when someone is killed is impor-
the traditions of appeasing spirits as on the shriving of
tant, but rarely the most important moment in the them. Father Stuart has an obvious knack for talking spir-
existence of a spanner. Through this knowledge do its down, bur has managed to avoid the sensationalist reli-
many cheat Death, as the levellers (and the Foxhorn) gious circuits.
define it.
Chapter II: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Ting As
Born Luce, Chile, AD 23 78
4
'A-Life' is but o ne of an endless number of rerms from Inheritor spacetime.
We keep history itself. Does that sound too
Ir roughl y rranslares as o ne's origi na l chro nies, or co rner-mares, but grandiose for a bunch of scribblers? Well consider
Aqua rians a fter AD 2222 are bo rn panners, so these d istinctio ns are very two things. Firstly, without us, there wou ld be no
differenr for them.
c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
controlling frag- no way of knowing what the For twenty years, the tribe's shamans used
Thespians should say or do when they play their that cave to initiate their young men into adulthood.
parts, no reliable way of distinguishing historical And then, in the way of such people, they moved on,
truth from narcissist induced lies. And second, we never to return. The cave lies hidden, its crooked
are far from mere scribblers. mouth choked with rubble and encroaching greenery.
The Thespians wouJd like you to believe In all the years of all the Eras, that painting is never
they are the only ones who play parts, who become seen again ...
what they are not for the sake of the Continuum. Except, of course that we have our Corners,
But we also infiltrate- Sometimes we hide in shad- our places hidden from the levellers, and here we
ows, watching; sometimes we are the trusted servant, have treasures otherwise lost to the Societies- lost
hearing the secret wishes of leveller masters; some- even to the other Fraternities (though, it is true,
times, we are servants so lowly as to be invisible- more because so few of them think to ask than
hearing all, saying nothing, remembering everything. because we would not share)- the lost books of the
Ah, memory! The Thespians claim superiori- Great Library at Alexandria, spared from the flames;
ty in that skiJl as in so much else- yet they are mere the secret notebooks of Da Vinci- the ones so secret
reciters of words we have first learned, for the most no levellers ever even knew they exist (and oh, what
part. Some few of them can match our skiJl in arguments we have with the Antiquarians over pos-
improvisation, living on the edge of discovery session of those!); the formularies of Doctor Dee and
always. None of them can match our ability to learn the rest of the dark school that swirl around the
conversations verbatim, on a single hearing, while court of Elizabeth ...
appearing engaged in some other activity entirely. We have another function aJso, though it
This is not our only skill, of course. It takes embarrasses the rest of the fraternities to be remind-
an understanding of human nature to inveigle one's ed of it. Sometimes, they themselves cannot decide a
way into the confidence of a king full of arrogance course of action; they debate as endlessly as onJy
and justifiable paranoia; or a leveller inventor rid- those with all of time ahead and behind them will
dled with self-doubt and secret fears; or a maiden, do. Then, we use all our diplomacy to broker a reso-
desperate to wed her true love against her family's lution; it is easier than it looks in truth- far easier
political aspirations. And how hard of heart we must than doing the same for the Levellers (which we have
sometimes be, to find out these secrets, record also done from time to time, or helped the Thespians
them- and, very often, betray them. For it is history to do)- since the debate is never about outcomes,
that is most in danger from narcissist plots- and but only about methods and possible consequences.
make no mistake, they can make it sound more And even here, we constantly monitor, memorize,
humanitarian than letting history take its true course. record ...
It's our long centuries of intelligence that provide the
sober outcomes demanded of life and the Continuum. Areas of dispute and alliance with other
But there's also fun to be had. We are master Fraternities-
word-wrights, and there are instances when we have Main conflicts:
stepped in to help out a Jeveller poet or novelist Versus the Antiquarians over the meaning of Art-
when they have proved unequal to their muse. We are seen arguing sometimes with the
And again, we are experts in codes and Antiquarians, over whether a particular item should
ciphers, secret messages and the use of symbolism. be considered art or information: what the final dis-
Sometimes, we expend much energy helping levellers position of Da Vinci's notebooks should be, and
to break codes their enemies have devised- in CoJd whether the original manuscript of Machiavelli's
War and the heat of battle, or even simply in the hot Prince more properly belongs in one of their muse-
tide of a forbidden love affair; and at others, we help ums or one of our libraries.
them devise such things- and ensure that they are
only as enigmatic as they should be. These seemingly polite tugs-of-war are actu-
Then again, some of our number are more ally the endgames of long harangues over the impor-
attracted to the earliest Eras, with its oral tradition- tance of information itself. Antiquarians defend
and spend long years on the level, learning by rote individual pieces of Art, like any common object
songs that wilJ pass from what is known, simply they might be asked to remake: Being at the right
because nothing, in the end, is wasted, nothing for- time in the right place is important, but pales beside
gotten. There is a cave in the heart of Iberia where a the First Maxim itself.
spanner, works according to the rituals of the tribe Information is all Art is really about.
he is studying, setting down in wall paintings the taJe Conveying a very specific set of signals. Common
of a hunt, a kill, the death of the tribe's leader and objects rarely inspire the uncommon- Art is infor-
the ritual slaughter of the elk which gored him ... all mation, information transforms intents, information
in charcoal and crude pigment, by the flickering light is all. And it remains our duty to see that recorded
of a fat-lamp. information flows where it belongs, and not wind up
Chapter II: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
carelessly in the wrong- (if there ever is a right "School of Night" London AD 1503 - 1601
one)- knick-knack shop.
"Museum, Sarapeum et Caesareum" (The Great Library of
Alexandria) 285 BC - AD 690
The Thespians are a constant trial to us, This corner has three main purposes. The first is to memo-
though most of us would consider it beneath our col- rize and copy the original documents. The second is to pre-
lective dignity to permit them the pleasure of know- pare for each fire, and to remove as many documents as
ing quite how much they rankle. Of course, the caus- may be possible without the effort becoming known to lev-
es vary- with some it's that they insist on ignoring ellers. The third is to foil the frequent efforts of assorted
our detailed scripts (and never mind the implied narcissists who wish to prevent the fires happening. This
insult), in favor of attempting to improvise history- last frequently involves spanners from other Fraternities,
and there have been heated debates- especially between
as if such a thing were not anathema to the
ourselves and the Antiquarians, about the ultimate disposi-
Continuum; with others, it's that they fuss so about
tion of the rescued original material.
learning what we've so painstakingly provided for
them. Burnings
48 BC The Collection at the Museum loses 40,000
The Engineers provide period equipment for scrolls to fire in Julius Caesar's attack
us, though if it were up to them our natural abilities AD 265-270 - Civil unrest and war damages collection
and acquired skills would be reduced in favour of AD 305 Diocletian orders many of the Library's books on
eyebaU cameras and hidden microphones, and damn metallurgy burned
AD 391 Collection at the Sarapeum attacked by mobs
the danger of discovery.
AD 415 Christian mob burns the Caesareum collection
We who live in the shadows and shelves AD 686 Arab conquerors burn remaining books to heat
their baths
have little time for the Foxhorn's loud displays of
bravado. Also, they are inclined to encourage the Everyone in the Continuum can rest assured that all major
worst excesses of the Thespians if they think it will libraries and natural history museums of the late Piscean
lead to a better hunt- how better to lure a narcissist are Scribal corners.
into the open but by providing convenient bait?
Personage of note-
Mary Moreton
Born Wiltshire, UK AD 1913
A shy, mousy girl from a solid middle-class fami-
ly, Moreton was nevertheless a superb horsewoman.
Served as a Wren in WWII; in 1939 she was recruited to
the Enigma code breaking team at Bletchley Park . Her skiJI
ar cryptic crosswords was noticed by her superior officers,
who had been told to watch our for likely candidates.
She fell in with the Scribal corners, who are busy
there rescuing various collections from the bomb raids. It
is typical of the Scribe mind set that Moreton does little
spanning for the duration of the war- a little, yes, mainly
to hone her skills- but for the most part she does only
what is required to help the war effort. But in cracking
Ultra she becomes fascinated by the other arts of the
Scribes.
As a Span Two, she works for Mary Shelley, trav-
elling Europe with her as a household servant, all the time
saving variant drafts of Frankenstein, or the Modern
Prometheus, and her lesser known work about an immor-
tal man. Her efforts as a Three are mainly directed at
teaching- she is a determined proponent of the Scribe's
Thespians
natural arts of memorization and diplomacy, and fiercely [named after Thespis, reputed father of Greek tragedy]
opposed to the use of mechanical aids to a Scribe's work.
Overview-
Selected Maio Corners: This is almost more an exclusive club than a
"The Scribal Librarium" Jerusalem AD 2101 - 2400 Fraternity, as the perks are nothing short of magnifi-
This is where everything comes to be catalogued and cent. But then, it is the rare spanner with the skiJI
assessed. There are more Scribes here than anywhere else and discipline to portray an important figure of his-
in the Societies. tory. Indeed, the history books are their scripts, as
"Library of Congress" Washington AD 1790 - 2122 they perform every known act and deed of their role,
no matter how mundane, horrible or secret.
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
Naturally as spanners, they find plenty of nistic disease. Of course, the Midwives are a great
opportunities to get away for awhi le. It's well known bother regarding procreation a nd a ll the fun one
tha t Thespian parties a re th e best in spacetime, and might be hav ing. We tolerate their endless battery of
almost impossible to crash. tests an d gene therapies, much as one might sit
pati ently through hours of difficult makeup.
Afrernate Names throughout time- varia tions on We manage to have tremendous fun, any-
Animal Speakers' in prehistoric eras, the Chorus way. Whenever Societal spanners need a diversion,
we'll hold a small open hou se in one locality or
Symbol: The Silent Mask- anoth er, and they come flocking because our parties
Many early masks are found without are more legendary than most of us. And they come
mouths, and severa l later ones are mere eye-cover- flocking to gape- it's like they become levellers
ings. The mouthlessness represen ts how the words of again, wanting that natural connection to human
history are neither tragic nor comic, but are ulti- greatness, and forgetting for a little while how
mately perfect for their moments. The mask itself, of mighty they themselves are.
course, means a spa nn er is behind the face of a lev- Of course, our private parties are even more
eller. intense. War games amongst the mightiest generals,
all for sport. Dozens of kings a nd queens from five
Services for the Continuum- eras discussing the finesse of policy and private sto-
ries, with the occasional enrapt Span Four or
Gwendolen, it is a terrible thing for a man to find
J ACK . Foxhorn snuck in as a guest. Jam sessions among
out suddenly that all his life he has been spea king nothing master painters or musicians are popular. And of
but the truth. course wilder parties th a n these a re thrown , if such
-Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, AD 1895
is your tem perament.
Death scenes are always hard . They' re even The perqs a re magnificent beca use we're the
worse w hen th y aren't recorded havi ng occurred, spanners standing out in plain view most of th e time.
and we're called in to supply an understudy. Most We're your living targets, a nd have far less opportu-
spanners learn that Francis Bacon was both himself nity to move around history once our moment on
and Shakespeare, but please, Pisceans, please don 't the world stage begins.
ask any of us how many Hitlers there have been. It's Narcissists will often target the famous-
embarrassing, and you'll only receive a very cold especially when they're children, to make our job
"Further information is not available here," even in even more difficult. Every corner does their best, but
Berlin. knowing you can call in an extra player is helpful.
What we do is suppl y fame. Some of us Like We are always calling on the Physicans to help cos-
to say we provide history, but that's too much a tume us for these special roles.
boast. We' re the great people of history. Not all of
them, nor even the ·m ost famous, of course, but just lo most cases, it happens like this. The lev-
enough of them. eller child is taken away somewhere safe. We place
Fame is a magical thing. It's wonderful to our actor in there, and imagine the surprise on the
read Lao Tse, or see busts of Nefertiti and then dis- poor narcissist's face when the kid starts £ragging
cover that these are spanners, and that meeting and them, too! The real child gets a trip to sugar-plum-
speaking with them is quite acceptable. But even land, or whatever delights him for about an hour of
names unfamiliar to late Societal histories are ones his time, courtesy our staff... He's full of imaginative
we Thespians wiJJ understudy, if the call goes out. stories for his guardians, who of course witness little
Many tribes have hero cults, and the best of them more than the kid playing by himself in the garden
were built on oral traditions in the Cancerean or other haven of safety. Older kids simply fall under
through Tauran Eras, such as Gilgamesh. We remem- the aegis of the Fourth Maxim, and are returned
ber these names and stories better than even the with some minor forgetfulness, but otherwise whole.
Scribes, whether they were spanners or levellers,
because fame itself is born in these times. Areas of dispute and alliance with other
Some of us take a very hard line with our- Fraternities-
selves, and learn almost every moment of dialogue Main conflicts:
through years of studying the part, live at a distance. Versus the Engineers over the importa nce of
Others merely read the prepared notes from the Invention-
Scribes, and enjoy the edge of improv. Both are The crisis is over interpretation of the First
acceptable methods, and require enormous mental Maxim. Is the value of information its mechanical
discipline. usefulness, or its sheer human popularity?
The Physicians are our costumers, preparing This debate always arises when an inventor
us for our known appearance, and aga inst anachro- or businessman from history is being portrayed by a
Thespian. The Thespian is more interested in engag-
Chapter II: Spanning C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
ing his role than ensuring the device is working mances, his mysteries and his puppets all around the fairs
properly. Engineers are called in to fix inventions by of the Hanseatic League, rescripting chem in every lan-
the very people who are supposed to be inventing guage of Europe. Ar rhe ripe old age of forty, he realized
them, which they find very bothersome and trou- char his decade of toil had brought him insufficient
monies to retire on, and one autumn night in 1333
bling. Brussels he began to despair of life, and fell asleep drunk
The Thespian argument is that the fame of a near a Hansea tic counting-house.
device, its creator, and its benefactor help dissemi- The next morning he was awakened with splash,
nate the invention, not its intrinsic usefulness. We for he was already inside rhe establishment, arrested as a
cite Louis XIV's disdain for anything that had not long-sought Venetian spy. After a brief but torturous inter-
come into being by his reign. The Sun King refused rogation, his insistence upon his true identity as an enter-
improvements to social, political, and mechanical tainer was corroborated. Remarking on the uncanny
elements in his kingdom, and by force of his person- resemblance, a nd upon his skill with languages, his former
torturer offered rum a job: to infiltrate the Venetian ware-
ality and status, impro ements there were not made.
houses to discover the lowest price they'd accept for the
France lost ground both scientifically and militarily
current shipment of silks. The pay was more than Mores
because of this- but it was not because the could hope to see in the next five years of puppetry. He
Enlightenment wasn't full of good men and ideas. had to take the role of the Venetian spy, and although he
Additionally, it is a mainstay of late Piscean business had only portrayed personified vices and greasepainted
practice to create "planned obsolescence". The best devils, "That were close enough to this new employ."
ideas don't disseminate to market until the consumer And his performance as Dupris, the old spy, went
pays through several rounds of minor updates. The magnificently; he was too terrified to even trunk of making
battery, the steam engine and even gunpowder sat a mistake as he spent a week "reacquainting" himself with
" friends" , and slipping in the fatefu l question of the bar-
unused for millennia. Japan saw how firearms upset
gain price as casually asking the weather over the Channel.
the social order, and discarded them for centuries.
He had stepped away from bis companions, and
Fame of a device is the real power of invention . was nearly out of the warehouse when be espied a young
man- no, woman, from the giggle- in simple motley and
The Scribes are always sticklers for accuracy, paint hiding behind barrels to the left of his exit. A slight
since they hate creating non-leveller propaganda to noise, and he turned to see her twin behind barrels to his
hide Thespian mistakes. It's not like Hollywood, right. Panicking at this moment of escape, he stalled, call-
though. Annoying one's scriptwriter jeopardizes the ing the attention of the Venetians.
fraternity's relationship with all Scribes, and your fel- Then the girl on the left playfully stuck out her
low Thespians will stop calling you, and extreme tongue and vanished into thin air. He cried out, looked at
the other in terror, and her smiles turned to doubt and
cases, groom you.r understudy...
panic, too. When the other modey witch disappeared,
Mores was screaming.
The Thespians tend to ally with the He tore open the door and started a run . He
Antiquarians versus the Scribes in their arguments shouldered a man, dressed much as he, then tripped back-
over the meaning of Art, however. wards, as this fe!Jow had a drawn weapon.
Compounding this nightmare- this fe!Jow had
We also tend to support the Physicians over his face! The real Dupris! Mores was given a wink by this
the Midwives in most disputes, out of confessed self- devil, a signa l of duplicity he'd written into most his plays.
interest. A great dead rat dangled from his sword. Mores
stumbled away as the Venetians came out, but Dupris dis-
tracted them utterly with his find.
Many Thespians are Foxboro in all but "Dupris! What has terrified you!"
name: playing a famous political figure means you' re "Terror? Anger, man! Look at these rats! They
answerable to Societal policy, as long as it not at are dangerous to the merchandise! Why are no cars kept
variance with scripted history. here?"
Mores escaped, and returned to his tents in the
fairgrounds, fearing that this intrigue had too many layers,
Personage of note- and that he was truly expendable. He hoped to have a
Gowannes Mores, mystery play author and per- moment to ponder bis Hansearic employer, but found
many guests in his tent, including the little motley witch,
former
who behaved like she had been chastised. They bad an
Born St. Ives, AD 1292 even more interesting invitation for a skilled performer...
He writes in his dense spanner autobiography,
Mores is our authority on how to make an Finding Faces in the Crowd, or the Extra-Ordinary
entrance to the Continuum. He insists that al l spanners Magnificence, etc. (Scribal Librarium at Ligny, 1519]:
deserve the most memorable invitation, because if they' re ' Many times this is how Thespians are brought into the
spanners, they wiJI remember it. " And it will be written course of the Continuum. The fascination with so many
upon the world stage forever," he writes. " ShouJd it not faces and roles leads to the occasional overconfidence of
then, be written well? " one's abilities, and entering encounters with fraternal
Mores was always a traveller, taking his perfor- brethren before they are at all prepared is too common a
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter II: Spanning
habit. It is linle wonder other spinners and other fraterni- must agree to the Span Two's advancement.
ties rega rd us as one would a horse loose in the fair- (Sorry, your elder can't be the one making the
grounds, being half giddy, and half dangerous ... [These recommendation! You'll have to impress
habits] are quite forgivable, for no other spinners in the somebody besides yourself.)
Societies of Man (sic) are expected to walk a path so laid
out a nd precise, with barely a moment to breathe fresh.
The world expects us at our posts, da y after level day, and 2. A 22nd century medical exam, or better.
we are gladly there, but our humanity demands its playful Allows one to be certain to be free of all contagens
rewards, which all spinners agree we deserve." throughout all the eras of the Societies. Also
extends lifespan considerably (to 200 - 400 years).
Selected Main Comers:
Severa l in and Around Los Angeles 3. Membership in a Fraternity usually (not absolutely)
"Beverly Hills Copse" AD 1947 - 2046 required.
-Said to have inspired the movie title. It's hard to gain (or discover) an Exalted's
"Ventura Rosehips" AD 1890 - 2007 recommendation when your contribution to the
"Casa Pasadena" AD 1842 - 1987 Continuum is entirely personal. Being part of a
team is a hallmark of responsibility.
"Footlights" Manhattan AD 1899 - 1975
"Jongleur Temperance" Lille AD 1091 - 1562 4. The spanner must also meet the following statistical
requirements-
"Tui Lung" Hsi en Chen AD 999 - 1317 a. Zero Frag.
b. A Quick of 6 or greater.
"Atavis Vox" Rome 96 BC - AD 234
c. Master ranking in two Skills from the following
Pre-Ariesian fraternal corners are notable for being highly list:
nomadic, usually wintering in different locales each year.
A Combat Skill
It is also rumored that the most popular private party spot A Computer Skill
for high-ranking Thespians is in the Virgin Era (circa Diplomacy
10,000 BC), on the then-warm expanses of Siberia and Disguise
t:'entral Asia. Dreaming
A History Skill
A Medical Skill
Further information on the Fraternities is available in Piloting
the GM's section. A Science Skill
Life in Space.
There is indeed life in space, most of it
human and human derived. ln fact, Space is remark-
ably crowded. The Inheritors have taken pains to
keep that idea an absurdity to us, as the truth must
come at its proper moment.
Instead of counting, like Carl Sagan, the
number of possible worlds with intelligent life by
dividing stars by millions, we must remember that
life multiplies in any way it can. The niches of space-
time that spanning sentience seeks out to survive are
startling, and beyond even the expectations laid our
here. But we remain one universe, and are united in
that at our most essential levels.
They are our children. They are our Elders.
In fact, the Continuum is ceaselessly amazed
Victo r Beaurega rd Ho uston
(b. AD 1857)
Elders (AD 1886)
wa tercolo ur
Mu~er Cnnt ra1emps , Marseilles
matched by a narcissist plot, the Inheritors are there least four hours apiece playing C NTINUUM, before
advancement to the next Span can even be consid-
as the "big guns" to stop the Frag. They will save
the day, if they have to. ered.
You can feel confident, but never should you
rest easy. Inheritors play rough and very much for
keeps: The vast majority of all life is at stake with Who approves Spans Beyond 5?
their every move. Even the most experienced Exalted
and their own contacts within the Quicker Fraternity The approval of at least three Exalteds of
are treated brusquely and with scant remorse. the Span you're aspiring to or greater must be
Earth is an extremely dangerous and pre- attained to achieve Spans 6 and 7. (These Exalteds
cious place, and Inheritors don 't live here before AD must be other than your elder, though having an
2222. They aren't meant to stick around. Provoking elder of higher Span is always a good sign.)
them is a sure way to get the Continuum to censure For Spans above 7, you will be approached
you. directly by the Inheritors.
To share some Inheritor perspective with
you, take the famous Roswell incident. Everyone has
heard of it, and certain leveller fanatics can quote
dates and times like a true spanner.
One of the better known anecdotes is the
actual discovery of the crashed "aliens". One dead
and mangled, the other injured, and standing there
staring, screaming in the desert as authorities sur-
round them. One scared and confused native cracks
the victim's skull with the butt of his gun.
And afterwards, the story goes, cover-ups
and weather balloons.
But as other leveller witnesses of "close
encounters" attest, Inheritors rarely make a sound,
even when surprised or communicating, let alone
scream.
Whichever Inheritor survives the crash at
Roswell will know of the famous incident, too,
almost like we would know a fable told in child-
hood, a bogeyman to make us behave. He can see
where he's crashed, hear the jeeps pull up. He awaits
the fame of that gunstock, and the end of his Yet.
-.
' ·.,:\;;· :·~~iS1orqgy·
a-u.s.ality is only one principle and
·<·:_···:·_·:>'.: ·
·1fs§~~iiiflY ~annO~i§t·
exha usfelt::EIS~;;:;:ca.us!:f_· meth·o: ~~=
-·,. ·o nl y, .6-~-t-ii"vse
theitlllin d .l!Yti:f
Y:fu~s as .,"Wtil, " :r~:- .·..-J'
·.=:·
. . ·. ~)~{·=t .:\.
1:~$~½\.: .·
){ii }J
Chapter ID: Struggling C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
feedback, and simply coover eat a temporal remove
Dreaming and from your audience. The Dreamers Fraternity is also
serenely proud of the fact that Dreams can never
Communication cause frag: Any unexplained or contradictory experi-
ences had in the Dreamtime are easily explained- it
was just a Dream.
Communication across great distances of
space has been one of mankind' proudest achieve- Trme & Dreaming
ments. Communication across time one of the hum-
blest. The realm of sleep, with some focus and per- Exerpted from The Pages of Sleep of J-manu he' Eleihurai.
sonal discipline, has opened the ways across the Eras Courtesy the Dreamers' Fraternity; emphasis added by the
for those who can alread y wander them. author.
The question is often asked, How necessary
The authors wouJd like to stre that this is the text that
is communication across ti.me, i.f travel there is the Dreamer wish players of C°NTINuuM especially to con-
instantaneous? Simply put, communication remains sider, though for gameplay only points I through 4 below
paramount and distinct from transportation. are discu sed in this volume.
Dreamers at many different Levels and Localities can
rendezvous with one another, spending no Span. This Within the perspective of time travel, wis-
alone makes the Dreaming Skill priceless. dom and enlightenment need to find a new defini-
It is also frequently necessary to reach out to tion, a new perspective. Most timebound cultures
ones friends when one has mi placed a physical ren- have a general philosophy that places an ideal wi -
dezvous. Most spanners learn to Dream as soon as dom either in a vague, indefinite past (such as all the
they can, as it's like getting a cell phone: You want Golden Ages many cultures propound) or in the
your friends to be able to find you out there. indefinite future (the Progress we're all working to
The passing of information across time build). Time travelers know that these places don't
never in itself creates paradox or frag. But it pro- hold any special answers. They've been there. This
vides the temptations, the distractions, and often the destroys, for them, the Grail of the perfect wise cul-
means to cause it. Dreamers have been known to ture, the people who know the truth.
contact themselves, older and younger versions of But Man, as a species, has his ways. The
friends and strangers with tales, warnings and first thing a time traveler notices is that a peasant, or
visions. But such is the nature of the Dreamtime- a bureaucrat, or an ecclesiastic, in fourth-century
the place all Dreamings are- that these dream-gem- Rome, is very like his opposite number in Des
i.n.is and dream-yets need only be recorded as the Moines, 1943. We are Homo sapiens, by gum, and
Dreamer deems necessary. [See Landscape of the most of us like chocolate. After a little experience,
Dreamtime, below.] most time travelers come to recognize the unity in
Accurate as the information being passed in human nature, and see the differences as variations
Dreams is, they are sti ll only Dreams. This remark- on a theme.
able freedom and flexibility spanners exercise to its But what about God? Time travelers keep
limits. hearing about him, in every culture they meet. All
societies have some version of God, of otherness of
mythos chat undercatches and sustains the order of
In Your Dreams daily life. Evidence keeps showing itself just around
a comer or beyond a pale. Chronics are canny
Dreamers Fraternity pie, and although cause and effect is the discipline on
The Dreamers Fraternity handle many long- which their survival depends, they know that
range communications, since they have the most, and much evidence bas been accumulated to deny the
highest Span Grandmasters. I.n few other Fraternities existence of a spiritual truth. If God is real, 's hid-
do Exalted remain for so long; most Span Fives and ing from them for some reason.
up regard their old Frats as a lma maters: Fond affec- Seasoned time travelers throughout the
tion, but rarely interested in further direct involve- Societies, have sought out an approach into this mys-
ment. tery. In all Eras, mystics have leaned heavily on the
But Dreaming Grandmasters only truly come power of dreams. Everyone dreams. And although
in to their own when their Span is sufficient to different cultures interpret dreams differently, (since
Dream with other Exalted across the Societies, and even the wisest shaman is still timebound and the
beyond. What few negotiations that are actually held product of his culture) certain common threads
with Antedesertium, are mainly held while i.n the emerge.
safety of the Dreamti.me.
Transchronal Dreamsharing is considered 1. Dreams can be used to predict the future
the most effective way to explain oneself, derive of an individual, and sometimes of nations.
Chapter ID: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
2. Dreams can re important clues about Dreamtime. Due to the nature of the Dreamtime,
people, their motives and agendas. · seeing or meeting yourself doesn't affect causality, or
create frag. Just because an apparent elder appears
3. Certain adepts are able to "send" a before you in a Dream doesn't mean you have to
dream, to communicate a message or influence the obey his every command- though warn ings from
dream's recipients. your Yet often take this form, so don 't regard them
lightly.
4. Dreams take place in an alternative land- Studying behavior and symbols of behavior
scape of our space-time continuum. While this region and attitude can take a lifetime of study, but in many
is beyond our understanding, it still obeys its own cases a person being examined makes their inmost
laws and is as real as our own world, if not more. feelings clear. When a Lucid Dreamer focusses suc-
cessfully on a target for study, immediate and unbid-
5. Gods and Powers are aware of the dream- den reactions come back; a secret admirer might
ing of man, and use it to affect humankind for good blossom into flowers , a closet narcissist might appear
or ill. as an annoying woodpecker or in a broken mirror.
These are Dreams, after all, and the GM may
6. The dream world has its own inhabitants. describe the symbols you experience in any way he
Some of chem take a keen interest in us, for reasons sees fit.
we do not understand. Lucid Dreamers can tell they're being exam-
ined. They can resist being examined by other Lucid
Therefore, the Societies have adopted a con- Dreamers by making a Quick roll to defend against
ception of mankind's Dreamtirne, and use it as a each Dreamer making an attempt. Failed attempts
means to understanding what happens to them in simply meet with no information; finding out the
their sleep. This paradigm is only a tool that they distant examiners requires a successful Lucid
use. It is not perfect, and it is certainly not real. It is Dreaming roll itself, of course [see pg. 20].
merely, like Vonnegut's foma a lie chat makes sense
and solves most of the riddles, thus aJlowing one to 3. Communication Across Time
use the vast medium that no one understands. Making the Call
It is an intensely personal medium. It enfran- How does one find the person one is looking
chises the validity of your past, and youl' Yet. We for in a ll spacetime? The nature of the Dreamtime
admonish you to use it with respect, and caution. circumvents the problems of mass entirely, so any
span ner who is a Grandmaster Dreamer can perform
Elaborations on Time & Dreaming
Transchronal Dreamsharing [see pg. 20]. But the
need to seek the person one wis hes to contact is,
1. Predicting the Future apparently, counterintui tive to the nature of the
This is hardly a difficult task for spanners, Dreamtime. lf two Dreamersharers are seeking each
but can amaze levellers who come to beg boons from other, they usually find one another. The most fre-
an oracu lar priestess, or fort une teller. Sometimes quent exception is whe n a Dreamer is stressed by
information eludes even a spanner, and hence Time Combat, they may miss a Rendezvous in the
Oracula r Dreaming is a desired Skill [see pg. 20]. Dreamtime [see Time Combat- Strategems-
Rendezvo us la Reve, pg. 126].
2. Revelations about a Person
Lucid Dreamers (Dreamers of Apprentice Rendezvous la Reve
rank) can read and manipulate the symbols they see Also ca ll ed Dreamsharing, Dremoot, and a
in Drea ms, and sometimes (GM's option) interpret number of other names by the myriad cultures of
the Dreams of others. The overall effect is of a sapi- mankind. This is a meeting of severa l minds via
ent individual considering a kaleidoscope of art and Dreamsharing or Transchronal Dreamsharing. The
theatre dancing around them, and trying to make a Dreamers Fraternity is famous for its vast ren-
cri tiqu e of what they are seeing. dezvous, or corroborees, to use the Australian term,
where thousands of Dreamers gather to discuss and
Dream behavior amaze one another. But most Rendezvous la Reve
In the Dreamtime, nothing is real, so the have no more than eight or ten participants, if that.
Maxims run the risk of being ignored or distorted. Dreaming cannot overcome the basic imped-
But much in the Dreamtime remains accurate; thus iments of language, but it allows for understanding
while the First Maxim is very much acti ve in a ses- of basic needs and desires. Many Rendezvous are
sion of Dreaming, the other Maxims exist only as conducted by symbols and pictures alone, since
much as the Dreamer regards them as important. Dreamers can always project basic emotional intents.
Dream-geminis are often th e best opportuni- Rendezvous la Reve is so common and important, it
ty to examine yourself and how others see you in the is a Strategem in Time Combat: see pg. 126.
Chapter ill: Struggling C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
4. Landscape of the Dreamtime-Where " Bernie, your Novice Dreamer appears in my
Dreams take place Grandmaster's milieu as a cabbage, with no ability
Akin to the Platonic World of Ideas, the to see or hear. Go away."
Dreamtime is the area in which all Dreams occur. Lucid Dreamers can also create small effects
such as a dream-flashlight and its beams, dutiful
The brain may react to the stimulus of dreams the
'
eyes may twitch and the body's signals form subcon- dream-pets, and dream-clothing that dream-broad-
scious ideas that become projected into the casts the Sci-Fi Channel." In fact, Dreamers can do
Dreamtime, but the Dreamers Fraternity insists that anything the controller of the milieu lets them [see
it is a distinct realm of our universe. The Dreamtime above]. Dreamers cannot be held in a milieu through
takes place outside the body; one merely needs a normal techniques, and are normally free to leave for
bod y in order to send and receive, to extend the ceU other parts of the Dreamtime, or awaken .
phone simile.
The farther Up into their Era one proceeds, Dream Combat
the more Aquarians dismiss the Dreamtime as asci- Dream Combat is primarily a pretend form
entific hokum, and turn to nanotech to solve com- of Physical Combat [pg. 22]. Some dreamers have
munication demands. Pre-Aquarian Levellers, of psychic combats with encounters, but unless
course, tend to open themselves to Dreaming in Telepathy [pg. 115] is employed, these somnolent
order to receive visions or messages. Journeyman bouts cause no actual damage- No more than an
Dreamers put this desire to use with the power unsettling feeling upon awakening, if the dream-fight
Oracular Dreaming [pg. 20]. happened by surprise.
Count dream-impairment as 'ZIP : sleeping
An Uncontrolled Environment impairment points. Useful for practice, but otherwise
A dreamers body sends them signals that unaffecting the waking world . Shock is normally not
they are hungry, or need to get up and use the bath- a pan of Dream Combat. lf a Dreamer takes suffi-
cient ZIP to be killed or ' knocked unconscious,' he
r?om. An inexperi~nced or untutored dreamer might
fmd them selves trymg to eat endlessly, or find them- wakes up instead, grumbles a bit, and can either go
selves with an aching bladder in a milieu of water back to normal sleep or get up and start the day.
fountains. Beginning with Apprentice rank in
Dreaming, a Dreamer can begin to shape the mi.lieu Us e of Telepathy to cause real damage.
of the Dreamtime. The Telepath must be Dreaming levelly with
the target, and within Telepathic range: After alJ,
Telepathy is not a transchronal skil l. Dream Combat
Control of Environment is conducted normally, but the Telepath tells the GM
When entering the Dreamtime, the most his intention to cause real wounds. The victim is
accomplished dreamer sets the milieu. Essentially, the unaware that signals are being sent from his brain
milieu is the backdrop, scenery, and mood of down his actual nerve pathways to cause internal
Rendezvous. In fact, being controller of a Dreamtime bleeding.
milieu is a lot like being GM of a c 0 NTINUUM game, Every bout that actual damage is inflicted,
on ly with less worry about consequence. the victim is allowed to roll against his Mind:
Highest Title in Dreaming always gets to Success means he knows this is the real thing, and
control the milieu . Equal Titles, higher M.ind gets it. may awaken. Bruise damage creates bruises along
lf Title and Mind are the same in both dreamers, and the nerve pathways; these are twice as painful as
if they just can't agree on something as ephemeral as waking bruises, but cause no greater damage than
a simple backdrop, it comes down to a competitive real Physical Combat. Lethal damage causes nerve
action, rolling against the Dreaming skil l. damage along the pathways, and may render limbs
GMs may optionalJy allow a mixed milieu or one's whole body paralyzed if the area is cut off
with more than one controller painting the canvas.' or maimed in Dream Combat.
This would a ll ow participants to adjust a mixed If the victim ever enters Shock, he awakens.
milieu if within one Title rank of highest Titled lf he is killed, he truly dies: No one who is
Dreamer present. Note it can be more informative to
Telepathically killed in the Drearntime may take
alJow others to form or adjust the milieu: A choice advantage of the Surviving Death rules [p. 40].
of background can be a big giveaway as to personali-
ties or intentions. Limitations to Telepathic Attack in Dream.
Dream-weapons that can inflict real damage
Dreamers always maintain control of what are Limited to melee, ranged or simple firearms or
their own appearance is, unless four Title ranks hand lasers: Anything designed to do direct damage
below the controller of the milieu; in these cases, the from Telepath to target, with no chance of a back-
controller can pretty much turn them into what they lash onto the Telepath. The target must also not be
want, until they leave, behave or whatever. I.e. altered directly by control of milieu (as in the Bernie-
'Though such effe ts may wander off or morph into omething else in the milieu iJ nm concentra ted upon.
Chapter ill: Struggling c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet '
is-a-cabbage example, above). This is necessary to least a Master Dreamer, and the teacher is a
hide the Telepathic attacks. Dream-weapons with a Grandmaster in both Dreaming and the Skill being
blast radjus, esoteric payload, or that can do massive taught. Time Indexes are halved, but it is rare to find
dam age to a miJjeu (napalm, grenades, bioweapons, Grandmaster Dreamers willing to take on students.
atom bombs) shatters the illusion of the Telepath y, Again, no Span can be regained from sleep
does no damage, and reveal to the victim that he 's conducted w hile using Dreaming Skill; this naturally
been Telepathically attacked, and may awaken . includes Dream Combat and Learning Skills. Some
Telepathy does not have have the power to nefarious enemies have used Dream Combat to pre-
damage tissue outside of Dreaming. For that kind of vent spanners from getting enough rest to regain
fun, you need Pyrokinesis [see, p. 116]. Span; it is advised to seek out the Dreamers'
The Telepath takes no real damage in the Fraternity if these attacks persist.
Combat, only the victim. Naturally, two Telepathic
Dreamers on the same level can have it out in Attempting to Span in Dreams
Dreamtime like it was the real thing. In these situa- The Dreamtime is not a tool or medium for
tions, control of milieu is paramount. physical transportation despite the seeming reality
Many in the Dreamers Fraternity are accom- of one's body and milieu. If one were to try and
plished Telepaths, and many are eager for a real Span to an earlie r part of a Dream, one merely
fight. Such warriors glad ly Span to whatever Level a relives the dream as an unfragging gemini [see
fellow spanner is being ambushed, and retaliate with above]: You enter a different dream, or different
their own Telepathic barbecue. Or sometimes a Rendezvous la Reve.
Foxhorn is sent round to dispatch the Telepath It is widely believed that narcissists take
before he can dream again. inspiration for multiple-world theories from the
Dreamtime, where anything can happen. Alas that
Control of Milieu in Dream Combat. they cannot understand that it's only in their
As above, whoever has highest Title in Dreams.
Dreaming, or highest Mind controls the milieu.
Changing the milieu during the Combat requires a Dream log- optional
roll against Mind. Keeping a separate log for revelations and
experiences in the Dreamtime can be useful, especia l-
Victory - he may change the milieu and attack! ly when the GM likes to use Dreaming as a method
Success - milieu can be changed but controller can of furthering his plots. Keeping the log is nowhere
on ly defend near as important as maintaining one's span book
Failure - he can on ly defend , and the milieu is [pg. 34], and keeping your spannjng a secret: Plenty
unchanged of levellers keep dream journals. If anyone finds
Blunder- controller una ble to defend, or change yo urs, you can explain to your leveller acquaintances
milieu that you dream of travelling time. This makes a
pleasant excuse to maintain among levellers whenev-
Nothing presented as part of a milieu can er the subject of time travel comes up.
actually harm a Dreamer, even if designed by a
Telepath. But a changed milieu can put a combatant Further information on the Dreamers
off guard by dropping the floor out from him, encas- Fraternity and their motivations is available to the
ing him in a closet of blinding light, or other impedi- GM . [See Also Aquarian Skills-Clairvoyance, pg.
ments. It takes one bout to recover from any unfa- 114.]
vorable change of milieu.
Note that unless a Dreamer is four Title
ranks above his opponent, he has no control over the In Cold Print
opponents' appearance- thus burdening an oppo-
nent with chains, ropes or fire, etc. is not an allowed
change of milieu, nor is it an effecti ve attack.
Scribes Fraternity
The Scribes Fraternity handles most move-
ment of physical information Up and Down space-
time. Translations, interpretations and even composi-
Dream Learning
tjon of information are the great love of the Scribes,
Practicing Combat or Learning Skills while
and this central fount of learning in the Continuum
Dreaming is only supplemental. No more than a sin-
is of enormous convenience to a ll loyal spanners.
gle clock per Skill per Title rank can be checked this
While they don 't have an enigma like the
way, and Time Indexes are not affected.
Dreamtime to explain, the Scribes do have strict
rules about use of Scribal Librariums. For one thing,
The only exception is when the learner is at
books are never removed. They are easy enough to
Chapter ID: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
duplicate, or have duplicated. But reasons for need-
ing the information, where the information is going,
who is seeing the information and when are asked of
all querants, and while tedious, it is all part of
recording the acts and unfolding of the universe.
· Many (though by no means all) Oracle and
Frune Strategems during Time Combat [ppg. 124-5]
are actually carried out at or with the cooperation of
a Scribal corner. Scribes have detailed information
about all Time Combats everywhen: Many if not all
have been recorded in detail, primarily for use by the
Quicker. How much they divulge to you about any
subject is the amount of information you should
accept in the given situation (First Maxim).
Delivering hard copy is considered the best
way to prove oneself, fix promises, and meet and
entwine Yets across time. The honesty and accuracy
of the Scribes is known and trusted by all
Continuum spanners, and no reputable source can be
found to complain about their spotless service.
The rules for conducting Time Combat in c 0 NTINUUM To a Narcissist or other Target of Frag-
begin on pg. 121. First, a discussion of what it looks Narcissists refer to encounters with the
like to the characters: Continuum as ' the Swarm'. Though, often as not,
the 'Swarm' is not concentrated in one moment, or
even one Level of spacetime, when it is, it does have
What Time Combat Looks an ominous appearance to someone targeted for
doom.
Like Anyone who has felt frag does not want to
feel it again, but is better prepared for its effects. But
To a Leveller- Time Combat is such that dire harbingers of its com-
Levellers, of course, never notice much time ing often drive a target mad with terror. Flitting
travel. But some telltale signs are there, familiar to spanners coming and vanishing out of the corner of
spanners from their days before the Invitation. your eye, a person watching you from a distance,
Deja vu, or "already seen" is one of many meeting the same stranger more than once over the
names psychologists and neuroscientists give to the course of a day, but without a kind word or the sig-
phenomenon of having the impression of that one nal 'what time is it?' to ease the fear. [See the stories
has experienced something before. The authors' own Somebody Always Wants You Gone, pg. 52; Afoot,
experiences with deja vu involve the distinct element pg. 62, and Out in Society, pg. 118 for further illus-
of being able to recall when one had seen or known tration of this.]
the event before, all the while aware that one cou ld- Continuum spanners that see this much sus-
n't have had the actual experience then. There is no picious activity around them alert their corner like a
memory of having remembered the experience before reflex. But while narcissists can exhibit some form of
the deja vu, either. organization, and even attack in teams, most find
Late Piscean science explains deja vu as a themselves alone or deserted when frag comes down
retroactive firing of neurons out of sequence between upon them. Few narcissists live to see three Time
the forebrain (short-term memory) and the deeper Combats, and they know this quite well.
memory centers of the brain. Why different centers
of the brain should misfire is given a number of
explanations, but the majority of these instances can To a Continuum Spanner-
be explained simply by the intercession of the The process of bringing down a narcissist is
Continuum against narcissist intrigue. like breathing deeply and slowly. Like listening to
Deja vu is the scar left behind from a narcis- your heart beat. Most Time Combats involve a cycle
sist attack. Since the Continuum ultimately defeats of Oracle/Attack, Rendezvous, Oracle/ Attack,
all attempts at frag, all that there is for a leveller to Rendezvous. The quarry becomes familiar, and then
notice is the split-second of a present moment related it is hunted down, and either neutralized physically,
to a past moment: the brainwave that exists in two or in serious cases £ragged out. With numbers on our
places at the same time. For the tiniest instant, they side, a £rag our is always very possible.
are half-awake to the woof and weave of spacetime
[See Chapter 2: Spanning-Causality, pg. 56] , and There is also the possibility of mercy. Not all
then the special moment is gone, leaving on ly the narcissists are so far down the road as to deserve
memory of an impossible memory. destruction. Many are wayward novices out on a
Mental illness. Some instances of mental ill- joyride that they don 't understand can be deadly. It's
ness, and even physical ai lments can be attributed to a dangerous judgement call, though, as many that
attempts at frag. [See Madness and Related beg for a chance to change their ways, are merely
Problems, pg. 138.] hypocritical spies and intriguers.
Precognitive flashes occur to levellers as fre-
quently as does deja vu since they are part of the Time Combat is always a test of character
same incident. Since most flashes are of seemingly for a spanner. The Continuum wishes you alJ the
irrelevant moments, most levellers' minds don't com- Grace availab le for you to succeed .
mit these "daydreams" to long-term memory.
Fleeting images of the future are rarely recognized as
such, since levellers have no memory of the future to
compare to.
Tintinnabus, or ringing in the ears, denotes
a hypersensitivity to electromagnetism, and is often a
Chapter ill: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
11. Out in Society tli.er spans nor reacli.es closer tnan a foot from Stirling,
who doesn't fl.inch. Ayla swallows audibly, and steps
Long ha.cl he wandered, down in the darkwood, a lonely back apace.
god going, bending the hours. · Sven is amused by the nervous girl. He says
Catching game is merry and eas_y. The great to Stirling: "You should not taunt your guest. It could
buck fl,inches as he steps so, beside it. A knife in the frighten the children. n He chuckles and turns back to
throat, an arm already straddling the great arc of his pick up his carving, and the good knife.
neck; it makes for good eating. A man of sturdy height steps out from the
There are pleasant fields in this land, and for shadows to the east saying, ''Three and two-thirds fur-
him the springtime never dies. Old bears fish in he longs to the southwest, is our place. Among many such
rocky rivers. If they make an argument with him he dwellings upon a gray road it has a deep green roof
laughs, and is out of the way of their paws. and door." A dark-haired youth, frowning, whose eyes
A night is spent with a shapely Mahican catch the fire, hangs back to the west.
woman he saves from a bear. She keeps making such Stirling continues, "Meet us there, three sun-
noises, stroking the scar on his ribs, the one he got in rises ago. Be discreet before the levellers, or suffer the
fighting near Trebizond. He wishes he could tell her penalty."
about the Black Sea, how she moves like it. In the Sven only snorts, and they are gone. He fin-
morning he is a year away. ishes his meal, and lays back to sleep, but cannot.
The wood people give way as he climbs the Something in the trees is watching. "Curse you,
y ear-ladder, and settlements of what he takes for Stirling, and you, her kin." But he marches up to the
Frisians and Germans begin to fill the river-valleys, spring, washes briefl.y in the dark, and readies himself
and then the hillsides. He considers spinning back, to to face the corner on their home turf.
walk the wide land with the tribes again. But he comes Sven manages to stay discreetly behind the
here with questions. He comes to {rune the secret of tall fence as he arrives. The paperboy is a late arriving
his making, from those that know, even if he has to witness, staring at the lumbering man in the rusty hel-
take their lives. He has heard they are impatient, and met and fur boots, as he glares up and down the neigh-
so is he. borhood, and marches up the steps to bang on the door
He hears the rattle of engines, more and more with his half-finished carving.
as he journeys up, until the game is quiet and the leaf-
rush is fighting the shrill song of man in the encroach-
ing distance. Looking out from the window, Anton com-
One evening he spins and hunts a three-point ments, "We're going to have to join a Ren fair or some·
buck with his old bow. He fells him, but the bow thing Down from here, you know."
breaks, and he knows it is a bad omen for his solitude. "Explains some of the junk mail, n peeps A.via.
That night, as he roasts his kill, they come.
Four, one one each side of his small clearing. He heard
no step approaching, and can tell what is to happen. The day drags on into afternoon as Sven goes
A woman with dark hair strides into the fire- in stages from taciturn to angry to sullen. Christopher
light before him. Her clothes are strange and smooth, has tried to engage him in questions beyond the grunt·
with dazzling, distracting details. He looks into the ed yes-or-no. He JJO,ces the living room fl.oar; the shav-
{1.ames, yanks out a leg from them. ings from Sven s work are starting to pile rip. Anton is
In a rough dialect of his native tongue, the draped into a recliner in the corner, having told Sven
dark woman begins to speak. "What is the hour." hours before that he had given up on him. Sven had
He takes a bite and says nothing. simply ignored his words.
She folds his arms and frowns down on him. Ayla comes downstairs. She is throwing pow·
After another two bites he mutters, "What is der from a can all over, and fiinches at a great deer
the hour." tick that hops from Sven to her arm.
She spans, is seated nut to him. "I am called "These have Lyme disease," she hisses in
Stirling. Here, this is my corner you are walking in." English, whacking it away.
He snorts, and looks away from the small "What is that mixture," grunts Sven.
woman. She punches him deftly in the ribs, and to his "Another welcoming gesture," Ayla whines,
trurprise, it hurts. and Sven laughs; he does not believe her, but doesn t
"Look at me when I speak. I know you, Sven [ear her dusty magic. He is more magic than most who
Olafsson. We have spent many months of age in learn- breathe under the sun.
ing your language, which is dead here, because you "You have not mentioned why you honor our
have made yourself our guest. Will you come with us to threshhold," says Stirling, slowly losing patience. "Or
our comer-house, or will you accept only the wrath of why you abandoned your teacher, and abandoned all
the Continuing upon a wayward son?" the wisdom you were meant to share."
Sven stares into her eyes a long moment. ·1 have my reasons," he says, with a gesture
Stirling does not blink. Gunnar taught him from the court at Constantinople.
Sven tosses awa.v the bone, and turns toward "You are near the Aquarian cusp, very near.
his gear. "I will come if I can bring my carving." They will not care for your reasons there, they will
"Bring your good knife, if it makes you feel remove you. Then there will be no one to write your
safe." story." Stirling was hitting close to the bone, and Sven
Sven's reaction is a half-pounce, but he nei- grew red.
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
She stanas "/or a moment, tense, steps forwar"d
a paee, then thrusts behind her and to her right as the
man appears again, with bloody face and swollen eye,
trying to grab her. It's a clean shot, deep in his gut,
Suen. and he goes down. Ayla leaps with a hiss and vanishes.
"And if the village is protected by the gods?" It is not over.
says Chris. Anton appears, and moves a pati<J table with a
Sven si'ts glowering. He starts his whittling characteristic smirk. He is gone.
again. The man reappears, farther to the east, sweat-
-StiTling says quietly, "And what of the mighty ing profusely but uninjured. He backs up nervously,
man whom all the gods have singled out for stumbles over the table and falls with a crash.
ve,n,geance?" Chris appears next to him, cracks the man's
"I've never seen that." skull with a bat, and vanishes. Ayla appears, punches
''But you've heard of it, Sven Olafsson. Now, his throat, he turns, she is gone.
would you like t-0 see?" Sven blinks in the grass. He sees the elder
Sven stops carving, and is silent a long Ayla next to him. The white teeth of rage glint between
mtnute. her lips. She relives tJie violence of this time, an'U Sven
"Am I the one nunted:.U' realizes he does not krrow the depths of this you,ng
''That ia not what we intend to show you," spanner.
says Chris. 'o/ou do not deserve tha,t here." Alone, the man struggles up, coughing, a tooth
'.Then aliow me." slipping down his chin. He pauses, breathing, scowling
up at the shadow on the roof. and with a muffled curse
disappears.
It is night. The dew is on the perfect grass, All is quiet for Aeveral seconds, except the
and Sven, it, womlering how it is kept so squMe on the crickets.
top~ Th..ey are Chere, all five crouched down behind a He reappears where he first entered, swings
knoll, in a backyard under a bright moon and eerie and kicks at air, yelling, "-sorry!" looks confused, then
incandescent ldmps. Beyond the knoll, in short order, a winces from some inner turmoil. He holds his hands to
assion is to be perfor-m.ed. his ears. "Dammit." Then, he sees his proM body.
"We s'/w.uld be h"tiiclen if we stay here," says Falling back to the east, he gives a small yelp.
Chris. He turns in the grass and is.gone.
"'!'his is a tart! treat," explair,,s Stirling. "We
should be safe watching, since all my corner have And Ayla reappears, descending out of the air
experienced this. You will find our methods quiet. for and stabbing the prone form. Her panting echoes amid
this century. A fire-arm here would alert the common- the cricket-calls. Sounds of a trowel rushing hurriedly
ers." in dirt, until Chris and Anton show, and calm her
"Or an axe, casting brains out on them, " he down. She is covered in blood, and is saying, "1 don't
chortles. like frag, guys. It does this to me. It just does."
"Do not moue from here or make another Anton suggests something to her in low tones.
soun:d, o I wiU kill you. " Stirling's voice is low, the She laughs in silent hysteria, 1UJds, and is gone. Ghris
matter is settled despite Sven's glower. is shaking his head, but the two depart, leaving the
She points over, over to the left. Beyond a dea,d man.
high red fence, on a near, low rooftop stands a figure, The roof figure vanishes, having never moved
watcliing. Sven believes he recognizes Stirling herself, once.
And before them, spanning near the gate in After another minute, a group of five serious
the fence, a man appears. looking people step out silently from behind a.shed. A
He seems i.n a hurrx but hesitates, looking for sixth is Anton, who points at the body with a few com-
a long moment at a c/.ay flower pot. He approaches it, ments, then retur:ns the table to its place. He spans
and begins to pick it u:p, when he blinks, and suddenly away.
swerves to see the ffgure on the roof. 1wo of the newcomers examine the fallen
"Swarm," muttecrs t e man, and Sven recog- man, while the other three fan out around the yard.
nizes the word. One fellow sees them lying there relaxed and cozy, and
He begitt.s to peer in Sven Ii direction, and approaches tlie prone spaMers dubiously. Stirlirtg
Sverls ha,ul fi,nds his knife-hili. Stirling puts a small smiles and gives him a thumbs up.
hand on his shoulder. He can feel the tension in her He looks with great curiosity at Sven. "I don't
l,PCJlm, .ready to sp'Fing and remove the nearest eye. As suppose you a care to tell me the time," he says in
it happens, the man has no chance to discover them. n.glish.
Ayla <JPpears, a stiff black shadow under the "I don't suppose you'd care to tell me the
patio roof; holding before him with a knife dripping time!" Stirling sounds amused, and very much in
with blood. J{e pales, doesn't move. "You liked this, charge.
huh. Frogging me." He steps back, lean muscles in his "I suppose. Later, Stirling." He lopes off, and
far:e pulsing. vanishes.
''1.- I'm awfully-" And he is gone. "Ed, a Foxhorn friend, " she explains. "Should
Alya carefully puts away her trophy, and have introduced you, Chris. Anyway. The Foxhorn
draws another bl€id,e. 'die prisoners like that. lf sell-lover is lu.cky, he will
Chapter ill: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
never reawa n." by tlie sky-r"oiiil." He sets it clown heavily on the
Sven makes a noise, but he reconsidering kitchen table, scratching the furniture badly. Anton
many things. nearly says something, but Stirling stops him with a
"Have you ever felt /rag, Sven?" asks Stirling. gesture.
In the suburban twilight, he does not answer. ''What am I supposed to see in thisf" asks
The distant lamps in odd yards cast his hosts' faces Stirling.
into the colors of skulls and dead flesh. Sven snorts, and says simply, "A time hunt."
Stirling starts to chuckle, and is soon joined The corner looks closer. Weaving in and out
by the rest of her corner. Even Ayla plainly knows here and around are the impossible necks and lattice bodies
that she has been tested, and tested better than the of the ancient style. Man, dog, and fox are intertwined.
big man. "It is the same for hunting the self-lovers,'' says Sven.
'7 must have," he mutters. "In the time of for· "I only realized when you showed me the hunt, why
getting-" my mentor wanted us to carve, to let our minds see
"Doesn't quite count, huh. Well. Your time will this thing. The spiral and the catch. Our carvings were
come. Are you a fox, a beast in the wilderness? Or do to be only of men. "
you stand with your own kind.,. Stirling smiles her approval. 'That's excellent.
Sven watches as the other Foxhorns take hold So much stuff out there."
of the broken body, and span away. "I am tired of the "You didn't know that's what it represents?"
Wa$te-wandering. There is more to be seen among says A,yla in English, blinking. She is still a very young
spinnerfolk." spanner. "I mean, I didn't know. But, I thought,
Finally, the lights come on inside the leveller y 'know, you'd... you 'cl... "
homestead. "Time to go," sa.vs Stirling. "I'm supposed to know everything?"' says the
mentor in Old Norse, feeling the rich detail under her
fingers. "Where would the fun be in that?"
They return to the corner on a Sunday morn- Anton leans close. "Is he going to be here, um,
ing. Sven has his first experience of cocoa. As they sit much?"
·n the kitchen, an elder Anya shuffles through for some A,yla looks very distressed toward her mentor.
milk. "Keep it down, guys. Your elders are trying to "I think we've got some Sven in our yet ... "
sleep upstairs." She pauses, sleepy-eyes at the door- "Maybe." She thinks of Charlie, standing only
way, staring at her junior. For a long moment, junior as high as Suen s shoulder. But Suen there is mellow
Ayla sits there. Then she nods, and rolling her eyes, compared to this discovery. "I think he's here for a bit,
gets out her little book and puts marks in it. Her elder yes. Our Sven just needs some sanding and polish
grunts approval. Then in Old Norse, "Good morning. before he meets the world again."
Sven." She shuffles out again. Sven is very thoughtful.
'The ways of the hunt you have shown me... " Preparing for Time Combat
He struggles with silence before speaking again. "I
practiced some with my mentor, on birds and on wild
goats. But I did not come close to what I saw. I rue my Prepare for Combat in Advance
decision to try the life alone." You may describe to your GM in great detail
"Its not just the hunt, but your spin-saga. I new Strategems you will take during Time Combat,
believe you have been lax in keeping track. Did your but this planning should be between game sessions.
mentor not teach you these things." Essentially, you must describe your invented
Sven frowns at his own hands. "I thought I Strategem in writing, the GM shou ld take the time to
knew enough, and took myself to the sea-road. It was
consider its consequences before approving it. The
only the lack of my own kind, after long slow spans
through Skraelingland, that set me searching. I did GM may edit Strategem before it comes into use,
not stay with my mentor, for he wished me to spend and interpret its description during the game.
my weeks learning the Irish arts, before educating me Strategems that prove inconsistent or unbalancing
in the warfare of gods." may be reedited by the GM between games.
'The 'Irish arts'?" Stirling sounds vaguely
intrigued. Know Your Corner, and When to
Sven glances furtively about, and then a sharp
twinkle directed at Stirling. "If yo1i will trust me to Rendezvous
span out, I will be back at once. and then I can show Also, have meeting placetimes arranged so
you a thing." that if you're separated from your chronies suddenly
'7 don't trust you," smirks Stirling. "But go you' ll all be able to find one another again. This is
and return. Don't wander far. Most corners don't like a n essential coordinating element for any group
the uninvited." wishing to succeed at Time Combat, and it's a neces-
"So I have seen. So then." He vanishes before sary part of the everyday life of a spanner as well.
their eyes, and even as Anton starts to say, "Suppose
A good place to meet is one's corner, if feasi-
he's-?" Sven is back.
He returns with an armload of Celti{: art he ble. If you and your chronies are doing Combat in
has shaped from a log. He also smells worse; it amuses other spanners' territory, be careful to not upset the
him to see them fl.inch. '7 went and made this in the natives.
small wood where you found me, going and returning Rendezvous every other (or every third)
Chapter ID: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Sweep of Time Combat. This is not mandatory, but a distant or unclear- but successful- Fragging
it allows a Corner to coordinate and bring down the Action) the Continuum has every interest to help.
assailant. Ask fellow Fraternity members for assistance with
remote As/As Nots, and they' ll find a way for you to
When Is It Time Combat? barter services with distant spanners.
Whenever sentient force is applied to create In cases where an As/As Not (source point
deliberate paradox and Frag another sentient being, of Frag [pg. 53]) is nearby, but the Frag seems hope-
Time Combat has commenced. lo other words, once lessly complex for the local spanners (or players) to
someone punches you, get your friend s and fight unravel , the Mentor of a corner is expected to see
back. Exalted for aid. Problems that cannot be handled by
For when Time Combat concludes, see pg. the Exalted are handled by the Inheritors [pg. 103].
127.
Winning
Why Me? Bringing a narcissist to heel is usually a mat-
There are as many myriad reasons why a ter of spanning in, surprising him, and clobbering
narcissist or group of narcissists start a Time him physically. Since spanning occurs at will, most
Combat. Whatever their dreams of making universes narcissists get knocked out from behind, or by other
of th eir own design, it means bulldozing you out of less-than-chivalrous methods, so they can't escape.
the way. For the reason an incident of Frag affects a They are only human, too.
spanner when it does, see Chapter 2: Spanning- Keeping a defeated narcissist unconscious is
What is the Yet? , pg. 47. usually a good idea, as an awake one can just span
away. Keep them in dreamless sleep if you can-
Enemy Tactics they may have Dreaming skills, and call for help, or
Time Combat often begins shortly after at least send a warning; most are loners, though. The
Foxboro and Quicker Fraternities should be
meeting the Narcissist who starts the fight. This is
informed, though members often show up instantly
because the Narcissist has to make certain of where
after Time Combat to collect the bad guys. Even the
all of you are before yo u begin to bate his guts and
dead bodies of narcissists are usually of great interest
counterattack. It allows him to span away to some-
to these Fraternities, and are removed with dispatch.
when hard to find, even as yo u begin to engage in
Fragging an assailant into a state of non-sen-
the Combat in earnest.
This does leave them slightly more vulnera- tient existence (beyond Frag 7) has a certain satisfac-
tion, and experienced spanners working in concert
ble: A small piece of their whenabouts is known at
the outset can often produce this result.
In many cases the narcissist directly involved
in your fight is swapping favors for another
Narcissist, who is messing around in a different Time
Conducting Time Combat
Combat with a corner for which your assailant has
the real animosity. This makes tracking the motiva- These rules simulate what actually occurs on the
tions and continuity of these people some of the unfortunate occasions when spanners fight with one
"chores" during and after Time Combat. another. With narcissi always acting to disrupt the
But occasionally Time Combat starts the universe, Time Combat is run across all too fr~ -
moment a hapless Narcissist attempts to alter the quently.
universe in some small way, and it Frags unsuspect-
ing Continuum spanners. Such Narcissists are usual- Intention & Participation
ly taking fewer precautions anyway, and pa y the Time Combat is to harm an opponent either
price for their foolishness. by intentionally increasing their Frag, or surprising
them and stopping their mischief physically.
Losing Frag is increased by attempting to change
Sometimes they get away- be prepared to any incident in a spanner's life. Innocuous events are
face that. Occasionally a less experienced spanner, or usuaJly chosen by attackers: Trying to kill a target's
even an entire corner will be assaulted, and the nar- family members before their time, blow up buildings
cissist has been clever enough to hide his identity or that are to stand for years more, etc. usually Frags
at least his whenabouts. This can leave a number of other spanners, and they take action against you
spanners £ragged, and in need of also. [See also Double Jeopardy, below.] The GM
Take heart. They ultimately lose. In fact, the may bring in as many other spanner characters into
longer they string out their defiance of the universe a Time Combat as he feels he can handJe, and is fair.
These characters have their own agendas and coordi-
as it is, the worse shape their existence takes.
As for Frag that may seem unfixable (due to nations, and character spanners may never meet
Chapter ID: Struggling C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
many (or even any!) of the participants in a Time Direction
Combat.
A character being attacked may do nothing, • Going Down
and try to heal the Frag later. But for purposes of • Staying Level
this game, assailants can only be caught in the act if • Going Up
a spanner engages in the Time Combat that caused
that Frag. GOING DOWN to the Past often has the advantage
of attempts to Frag, such as Hit and Run. While the
Double Jeopardy timelines of spanners may wend all over spacetime,
Events of previously played-out Time all began as levellers, as were (most) of their ances-
Combats should not be targeted by subsequently tors. One also may gain initiative by being farther
played Time Combats. AIJ but the most insane nar- Down than your opponent.
cissist avoids this as it brings in a host of other span-
ners from the same locality, Society or Era who are STAYING LEVEL in a Present has the advantage of
now put in jeopardy from their Oracular and other certain clarity: One isn't spanning in the heat of the
aid to the spanners during the Time Combat, as well moment, one can observe the first vo lley of attacks,
as anyone dependent on events stemming from the and one conserves Span for final assau lts.
outcome of the original Time Combat. The attacker
may succeed in £ragging vast numbers of spanners by GOING UP to the Future has the advantage of
doing this- but his elimination is the solution to attempts to find the location of most of the spanners
that £rag. Bad idea a ll around. involved in the Combat with Oracle. Except, of
The GM is empowered to add dl0 x dlO course~ spanners farther Up.
spanners (of Spans of the GMs choosing) per Sweep
to oppose the attempt to affect the outcome of a pre- Naturally, the advantages of one Direction
vious Time Combat, which ought to be enough. This create disadvantages in the others, as detailed above.
is sometimes the explanation of Grace rolls during And once again, SPAN IS NOT REGAINED DUR-
Time Combat. ING TIME COMBAT.
Who Goes First in a Time Travel Game? Here follows a few of the approved
initiative in many RPGs is a standard way to Strategems for the C0 NTINUUM game. Players are
determine who strikes first, or gains surprise. And encouraged to send in their own successful
the Physical Combat system used in C0 NTINUUM is Strategems to timekeeper@aetherco.com -any that
just that. But when Time itself is an element of play, meet with our approva l wiH appear on our website
how can anyone hope to keep it straight? (www.aetherco.com):
The sequence has been interpreted for lev-
eller players, but each turn of Combat is called a
Sweep. As necessary, refer to each pare of the Sweep Attacks/Defens es
as an Element. Sweeps and Elements are not mea-
surements of Time, but of Actions.
ln each Sweep, each participant chooses a Gemini Flush
Direction and a Strategem. During Time Combat Minimum Bonus to Slcill For every amount To a Max. o
each player has sixty seconds "real time" alone with Duration of Age spent ~
the GM each Sweep to declare their spanner's
actions. 10 minutes n/a
This is a dangerous Strategem, as it gives the
user a point of Frag as per Gemini Incident rules [pg.
39] . However, it is a strong way to span in and
engage in Physical Combat [see pg. 22]. An elder ·
arrives, played by the GM, and both may attack a~y
Chapter III: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
opponents. The elder will probably do what the The spanner targets a specified event, person
player intends, but the GM may decide otherwise in or object in his opponent's timeline to Frag, and
any circumstance as he sees fit, including having the immediately moves on. The spanner must declare his
elder leave. Fragging Action (i.e. I move the lamp so that he trips
During Time Combat, if Gemini Flush is the over and breaks it, instead of switching it on; I steal
chosen strategem, another elder may appear per his car keys so he can't arrive on time, etc.), and
Bout, resulting in even more than two of the same then roll on the Frag Table (pg. 129).
spanner in the same Combat. Each costs a point of The player should give a convincing descrip-
Frag; this Frag is cured after the Combat as per tion of how he Frags his target, within the narrow
Gemini Incident rules [pg. 39]. confines of a sixty-second deadline .. Many results on
The elder(s) will depart after the end of the the Frag table are up to the GM's discretion, and he
Sweep unless the player attempts to direct them. The may have to decide if what yo u've attempted works.
player must successfully roll against the eider's Quick The GM may also decide from the description that
at the end of each Sweep, or the elder departs. an Action would Frag not only the target, but the
Success means that elder will stay in the Combat, fragger and other things beside, so describe carefully!
and can take actions as an additional player charac- If successful in Fragging the target, he must
ter. declare his NEXT SWEEP privately to the GM.
The player must also write any movements This is the typical first blow of a Narcissist,
of the elder into the character's Yet; he may want to though it is sometimes given as a sharp warning to
attach a separate Span Card for elder to accommo- any spanner deliberately employing sentient force to
date this task. The elder departs as soon as the Time something they know they shouldn't.
Combat is over: Where, is best left an unwritten part
of the Yet. Patch
If a junior dies in the Time Combat, the !Minimum
remaining elders take 2 additional points of Frag. If Duration
it is a Second Death, of course the character is 1 second n/a
instantly unplayable, with a Frag of at least 8 [see
Second Death, pg. 41]. This is an important strategem for spanners,
as it employs a quick-fix to known sources of Frag,
Harbinger but with post-Combat consequences.
Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max. of A spanner that has located a source of Frag
Duration of Age spent ~ caused in Time Combat (see Oracle) can recover one
point of Frag with a non-confrontational action far-
1 second n/-a ther Up from the As/As Not. This action must occur
If a successful attack (Frag or physical) on between 15 seconds and 30 minutes after the As/As
opponent has been made, but he or his cohorts are Not.
still engaged in the Combat, this strategem is useful The player describes his attempt to Patch (i.e. 'I
for increasing one's advantage in the Time Combat. replace the car keys in my pocket in time', 'I arrive
The spanner confronts his opponent not and use my authority to cancel the bogus shipment
with Physical Combat, but with psychological war- of lifeboats to the White Star Line', etc.) in such a
fare: evidence of his defeat from the attack men- way that the original assailant is not confronted or
tioned above (a bloody knife, a photo of his humilia- encountered at all.
tion or confusion from frag, a rent and stained piece Patches are written into a spanner's Yet,
of his clothing) is shown to or left where a junior of because they are imperfect resolution, and merely
the opponent can find it. Now that the elder (the one buy a spanner some Age. They must be better
you're fighting) knows the threat was made good, he resolved after or later in Time Combat, unless the
is penalized -1 on all his Skills for the rest of the spanner rolls a Grace or a Victory vs. their Span at
Combat due to sheer nervousness and self-doubt. the time of the Patch.
Harbingers are cumulative if evidence sepa- The GM may always rule a Patch unsuccess-
rate successful attacks are presented to the target. ful (or even £ragging), and decide whether or not fur-
(I.e. a penalty of -2 for proof of two attacks, -3 for ther information would assist in another attempt to
three attacks, etc.) Patch.
1 minute n/a
Chapter ill: Struggling C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
The spanner slinks off to his Corner, and must rerurn to their point of Rendezvous from the
cakes no actions. Oracles can locate him only on a previous Sweep, about a minute after they left. This
Victory. Frunes are halved, round down. Attempts to is equivalent to declaring their strategem for Next
Frag a Hiding character are penalized + 1 on the roll, Sweep.
but aren't impossible; they can't Hide their entire Isolate heals al.I Frag of a specific As/As Not
lives. Attempts to PhysicaUy attack a spanner while if targeting the spanner that caused it while within
in his Corner will invite all the spanners in chat 15 seconds of the event (or by GM's discretion). This
Corner to join in the Time Combat; assai lants includes Frag acquired whi le performing Isolate.
beware.
lf his Corner is out of the range of his
remaining Span, a local chapter of the s panner's
Information Control
Fraternity may accept to Hide him: GM's discretion,
or roU a 10 or higher on d10 + ([2x character's Cobweb
Span] - [2x character's FragJ). Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max. o
Duration of Age spent ~
Isolate
Minimum Bonu to Skill For every amount To a Max. of 7 days +1 14 days +6 / 84
Duration of Age spent ~
The spanner plants false information, in
1 econd n/a order to fool an Oracle strategem, and/or possibly
deceive a spanner into arriving to perform a
Once an assailant/narcissist is found, Isolate Measure. The GM secretly subtracts the Mind score
can put his fragging actions in a temporal ac uum. of the Cobweb user from the Skill used in perform-
This £rags an individual severely, and should be used ing the Oracle. If the Oracle is successful despite the
with only the worst offenders- though more often Cobweb, the Cobweb is revealed for the false infor-
than not, those are the ones initiating Time Combat. mation it is, and anyone can be informed of this
The effect of Isolate is to coordinate infor- through Dreaming, Rendezvous or other logi.c al
mation about the incident of Frag in such a way that means.
no one Continuum spanner knows enough to A Measure strategem conducted where the
become deepl y involved with the Fragging Action, Cobweb is placed wi ll also uncover its falsehood, bur
but can pass along sufficient means to a chrony to wi ll distract the Measurer sufficiently to be open to
Narcissists know they 've had it when Isolate is Physical Attack. Cobwebs can become baited trap
employed against them: In their parlance, they refer in this way: Your opponents may suspect you're
to it as " the Swarm", because that's what it looks lurking around the Cobweb, and a ttempt to get the
like from their sorry perspective. drop on you. This becomes a layered shell game of
Isolate requires the coord in ation of at least information control, with each side trying to get the
three spanners; there is no maximum number of edge and the final drop on the other.
spanners who can be involved. They muse first Cobweb cannot affect the Dreaming SkiU
Rendezvous in one Sweep, and then the next Sweep unless tbe Cobwebber has Dreaming himself; in this
descend upon the moment when the Frag was creat- case, his Dreaming is subtracted from anyone
ed . Each muse succeed in a competitive cha ll enge: attempting to Oracle information about him with the
Their Quick versus the target's Quick. Naturally, Dreaming Skill. A successful Oracle or Frune per-
each are resol ed highest Quick to lowest. Each suc- formed with Dreaming also reveals the details of the
ce s against the target add a penalty co his Quick of Cobweb, though not necessarily the creator of the
-1, so it becomes progressively easier to win the chal- Cobweb.
lenges.
Losing against the target means taking a Frune
point of Frag- but only the one chrony, and proba- Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max. o
bly not for long (see below). Duration of Age spent ~
Every success adds a point of well-deserved
Frag to the target. Specifically, the elder ve rsion of 7 days +l 14 days +6 / 84
the assailant, attempting to perform a strategem in
the same Sweep, takes a ll the Frag at once. If he is The spanner asks around among others in
not set beyond Frag 7, he is very disoriented for at the Continuum for information, especially regarding
least 7 days Duration, and he loses the next chance targets and other matters of his current Time
to perform a strategem, though he may Span nor- Combat. But one might Frune anything.
mally. Beyond Frag 7, he is of course out of the The extra time is taken because 1) other
game. spanners are very very cautious about passing infor-
Spanners involved in the Isolate stra tegem
Chapter ill: Struggling c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
mation to people engaged in Time Combat, and 2) The spanner rolls his Mind score, adjusted
any one question the spanner can imagine may be by Duration. (lf the target being Measured doesn't
asked. The spanner must roll his Span, (as adjusted spend at least 14 days on the studied level, these
by Duration) to gain an answer. Failure nets only bonuses cannot accrue.)
comments of "Further information is not available Measure dispels the lies of any Cobweb
here." placed at that level and locality. But any bonuses
gathered are primarily for the benefit of other span-
Note that if any participant Frunes success-
ners whom the Measurer would inform (presumably
fully during the Combat, the Continuum is more through Rendezvous). These bonuses are applied any
widely involved. Therefore, the Continuum will time an informed spanner makes or tries to stop a
actively encourage all Continuum survivors to patch Fragging Action at that level (such as Hit & Run or
up any detaiJs in their Yet, especially Frag, generated Isolate).
by the Combat, directly after the Combat ceases The reason the Measurer cannot use the
(assuming it's within any possibility of their doing bonuses himself is simply that he learns too much of
so). This "encouragement" can take the form of what happens there. lf he tried to change or influ-
plain messages or visitors, subtle or unsubtle hints ence anything, he runs the risk of £ragging himself.
and coincidences, dreams, the players' own con-
sciences, or anything the GM can imagine. Oracle
Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max. of
Iron Man Duration of Age spent 2'.
Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max. of 7 days +1 12 days +5 I 60 days
(in addition
Duration of Age pent ~ to target·~
Duration)
7 days special
The spanner Goes Up to a point in the future where This is a critical strategem, as it a llows a
he feels he is certain to discover his fate in the out- spanner with Anthropology, History, Library Science,
come of this Time Combat. The GM rolls d10: or similar Skills to discover information of the Past
1 Victorious. regarding opponents who have travelled there.
+5 to all Skrns and Abibtie in this Combat; spanner Dreaming can also be used, and even has a chance of
wi ll emerge with at most minimal damage, and no seeing into the Future. Once located, an opponent
additional Frag. can be surprised by a spanner that has done Oracle
successfully, and Physical Combat may be initiated.
2-5 Signs Favorable.
+3 to all Skills and Abilities in this Combat. o The spanner attempting Oracle:
meaningful information available. 1) Declares a target spanner, object or event to research
(even if it's only "whoever just fragged me").
6-9 Signs Unfavorable.
-2 to a ll all Skills and Abilities in this Combat. 2) Declares Duration of study (see box) .
3) Asks one and only one of these questions [with
10 Death in this Time Combat. examples of usefulness]:
This fact enters the players Yet, and i considered a) Who/What is this? [asked if you've been
Death as per Span and Frag rules, including Second
Fragged by an unknown assailant]
Death, if applicable. No negatives to rolls, bur the
spanner wiU die because of or during the confrontation. b) Where and when is he/it? [asked if you
intend to go and attack this Sweep, or
Note that if the spanner has Fruned in a previous Measu re in a later Sweep]
Sweep, he may roll again on the table, if he doesn't c) Where and when did he/it go? [asked if
Like his first roll. The second roll i not cumulative; it you've been hit this Sweep, & intend to go
entirely replaces the result of the fir t roll. and attack next Sweep]
lron Man can only be played once per spanner per d) How (when/where) was it done? [asked if
Time Combat, and is strongly di couraged. you intend to go and heal Frag]
-Then rolls his abil ity.
Measure
Minimum Bonus to Skill For ev ry amount To a Max. of Adiustments to Oracle
urarion of Age pent ~ Ln ADDITION to the Duration adjustments
(above), THE TARGET'S DURATION (Age Spent)
1 day +2 14 day +6 / 42 days IS ADDED TO THE ORACLER'S DURATION TO
DETERMINE THE ORACLER'S BONUSES. Thus,
The spanner goes to where an assailant (or spending extra time doing anything at one level
victim) is, and studies him clandestinely and in increases the danger of being discovered and
detail- gathering information for other spanners to attacked. [See Dangers of Staying Put, pg. 127]
act upon. Note that only on a Victory roll will an
Chapter ID: Struggling C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Oracle reveal a spanner that is in his native Corner; Dreamsharing in order to meet. Naturally, all partici-
otherwise, the Oracle would fail to pinpoint the pants in Rendezvous la Reve must be meet the
spanner well enough to surprise him. requirements for Dreamsharing, and therefore are
Spanners who have Gone Up gain a +1 to likely to be all Grandmaster Dreamers. Each must
their ability, as more information is available the far- successfully roll their Skill, or miss the Rendezvous
ther into the future one goes. If a spanner is farthest in the Dreamtime. Happily, longer Dreaming sessions
ahead in the future of all player participants in the adds bonuses to successfully Rendezvousing.
Combat, they gain +2.
If Dreaming is used to Oracle, answers
about events and persons farther Up (in the Future)
Narcissist Tricks
can be got, but the GM secretly penalizes the span-
ner's ability by -2 or more, depending on how hard Reverse Engineer
he deems the information is to come by. The GM Minimum Bonus to Skillil For every amount [To a Max. o
need not reveal that the information is about the Duration of Age spent ~
Future, unless the spanner is asking 'where & when',
or already knows when to look. 1 minute n/a - -
Finally, if a spanner has not spanned this Sweep, and
has successfully Oracled, he may Span Levelly and This strategem is expressly forbidden to
Physically Attack this Sweep, if otherwise feasible. A Continuum spanners, due to its insidious nature. It
safer method is to Measure the weasel and bring him targets events in a spanner knows are in his Yet, and
down with Isolate. attempts to erase them.
Some preparation of the ground applies:
Rendezvous 1) Assailant must know who the target is. (either
For every amount To a Mai. of previous to the Combat, or via Oracle.
of Age pent~ 2) The assailant must Oracle an event in his target's
Yet. (Using the question "Where/when is he
going?" suffices nicely.)
3) The assailant spans to that event, and attempts a
Another critical strategem to employ, as Fragging Action upon it (and should describe it as
working in concert allows assailants to be brought per Hit & Run).
down expedjently. 4) Sjnce this is a Fragging Action, the spanner must
This is how the Continuum works together declare his NEXT SWEEP.
to stop Frag, and how groups of Narcissists plot
their nefarious plans. When Rendezvous is declared, Nore that Gemini Incidents are almost
a corner or other private place within spanning always in a spanner's Yet, even if nothing else is.
range is gone to, and at least a day of Age spent Attempting to stop a Gemini is very risky, as the GM
there. All information known, including Frag, may bring the attacked spanner's elder into the Time
Oracles, etc. are shared by all friendly parties at the Combat (Like Gemini Flush, but at no extra penalty
Rendezvous, and the Rendezvousing spanners are of Frag)- and this elder may be of whatever Span
given an three minutes to discuss the Next Sweep, and Abilities the GM feels is appropriate. The
then each may have sixty seconds apiece to make assailant almost always finds his trouble doubled; it
declarations for the Next Sweep, if they desire to only attempted when the likelihood of pushing a
coordinate plans. spanner beyond Frag 7 arises. Spanners that bave
The Rendezvous begins on the Element had their elder forced into Combat in trus way,
when the last spanner arrives for the Rendezvous. should note it in their Yet.
More than one spanner must declare Rendezvous to
the same corner in the same Sweep, or it is assumed Statue of Liberty 2
they missed one another, or the information miscar- Minimum Bonus to Skill For every amount To a Max.
ried. Duration of Age spent .!:
1 minute n/a
Rendezvous la Reve
in.imum Bonu _to
_,s.-.,·" "F
'"'o_r_,::v
1 _ ery
_ am
__ ou_n_ """1i_o_a
1 . _Mii
...---- . _,
of
Duration of Age spent ~ This is a favorite (and powerful) ploy of
2 hours n/a Narcissists, and it is good to study, though the
Continuum stresses it should only be used against
proven Narcissists.
This acts like the Rendezvous strategem, The intent is to deliver the coveted second
only the spanners conserve Span (and Age) by point of Frag to an opponent just before Time
Combat begins by making the opponent ... late for
' Al o known as "Cheshire Car" in Britain. and by variou names in differenr Societies. Ir has no tandard name as it is ra rely employed by Continuum spanner .
Chapter ID: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
II. If more than one combatant is on the same Level, their declarations are han-
dled in order:
A. Declarations
0. (Levellers declare intentions, HIGHEST Quick to LOWEST)
1. Spanners declare intentions LOWEST Quick to HIGHEST5
B. Execution
The GM then sorts the actions taken:
1. Declarations are handled
a. By when they are in spacetime (as above)
b. HIGHEST Quick to LOWEST.
2. Any successful Frag attempts by them take effect at once and:
a. the affected characters are informed
b. the spanner who successfully attacked secretly declares his NEXT SPA
to the GM
(Once the First Sweep concludes, any Levellers intentions are carried out.
Leveller characters can only participate in a single Sweep.)
At the end of each Sweep, the GM reiterates to each player what has occurred to
his character.
* On the Frag Results table, (above right) One or Zero Frag (GM's discretion).
4
Taking a maximum of 30 seconds apiece, real time.
Tied Quicks are resolved by each rolling d10; highest roll to lowest, repeat as necessary.
Chapter ill: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Frag Results
Attacker's Span
2 1 1 1 • . . • 0 0 0 (1) (1)
-
3 1 1 1 1 . . • • 0 0 0 (1)
4 2 1 1 l 1 • • • • 0 o· (1)
5 2 2 1 1 1 1 • • • • 0 (1)
Apathy
Lack of interest in any events. This is often Multiple Personality Disorder
related to Automatonosis. In levellers, it is a clinical Known at the Aquarian Cusp as Dissociative
state of depression. In spanners, it usually has to do Identity Disorder, it is defined at that time by the
with feeling one already knows how the universe American Psychiatric Association as being "charac-
turns out, and there's norhjng to do but watch it spin terized by the presence of two or more distinct iden-
on until they or it dies. tities or personality states that recurrently take con-
The best cure for this is a surprise vacation trol of the individual's behavior, accomparued by the
into a distant Era, though other treatments are avail- inability to recall important information that is too
able. If the GM is to blame for the apathy, the player extensive to be explained by ordinary
should take the initiative to surprise him. forgetfulness" .6 Theoretically a psychic mechanism
for dealing with separate painful moments of the vic-
See also Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders, below. tim's life, each personality taking on different
strengths to combat each kind of pain, the very
validity as a leveller illness is hotly debated at the
Aquarian Cusp.
But what Jacob Robert Kantor referred to
ominously in 1919 as a "longitudinal dissociation of
' American Psychiatric As ociarion, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version IV, emphasis ours.
Chapter ill: Struggling c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
the components of personality" is not a matter of many coincidences, especially unfortunate ones,
debate to spanners in the Continuum. Spanners who begin to occur in their lives. Even favorable Grace
bear the burden of a point of frag for an extended rolls can become grounds for suspecting the
period of time can begin to develop an alternate per- Continuum of trying to put you off-guard. Many
sonality to explain that {rag. The frag does not go narcissists succumb to or derive from paranoia.
away, but the spanner's alternate personality begins
to deny the necessity of curing it, and even blames See also Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders, above.
the other personality for perpetuating the frag.
The length of time before an alternate per-
sonality first emerges is usually at least one year of Phobias
Age, and that only in fragile-minded spanners. But Fear of a particular object or situation.
excessive or repeated frag can make it more likely to Usually irrational, but with an identifiable source.
occur, even in a usually healthy mind. Being attacked by hungry lions might result in a fear
Memories are not shared between personali- of cats, for instance.
ties, though sometimes they can hold conversations. A common spanner fear is barophobia-
The GM may call for a separate character sheet to fear of the loss of gravity. This strikes spanners who
be written up for the new personality, with the same have had trouble flying or spanning- especially a
Ability scores, but different Skills based on Mind, recent near-miss into the atmosphere. A spanner
and all other Skills set down to Novice rank. Which afraid of spanning is about the saddest sight in the
personality is dominant usually depends upon what world .
information or task is being asked of the person. The
personality best able to cope with a situation will See also Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders, above.
likely be the one in charge.
Once the first personality emerges, subse- Schizophrenia
quent points of frag run the risk of creating more Known popularly as an illness with halluci-
personalities. The character must roll against Quick nations, hearing voices, altered sense of self and/or
every time he's £ragged, or he'll have even more men- reality, and bizarre behavior, schizophrenics also
tal company. Conversely, curing the £rag (if it is pos- exhibit many less spectacular and more devestating
sible against the spanner's will) results in the new symptoms such as emotional withdraw!, loss of
personality slowly reintegrating into the character. motivation and cognitive abi lities. Contrary to popu-
It's a process that takes seven days to six months, lar belief, Multiple Personality Disorder is a separa te
depending on how long the personality has been and distinct illness.
loose. People from most Eras regard schizophrenia
as a form of demonic possession, and considering
Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders narcissists, they are more accurate than they know.
Ritualized behavior. Not feeling balanced The cause is largely unknown at the Aquarian cusp,
until having touched objects with each sides of one's due to a dearth of reliable biological markers, and
body. Having to wash one's hands a certain number treatments are erratic.
of times. Always checking the time more than once a In spanners, schi zophrenia can be a result or
minute. Superstitious behavior. The list of possible misdiagnosis of high frag (5 points and up).
compulsions is endless. In levellers, it is usually a Symptoms may persist even after the frag is repaired,
response to anxiety, and the ritual makes one feel though this would be the first step. Combatants in
more secure. Antedesertium and the Geminid Era often suffer
In spanners, this is often referred to simply from varying degrees of the illness.
as "getting stuck": The inability to not perform
events by routine, even if they aren't in one's Yet. Sleepspanning
This results often from a spanner's anxiety over not Somnambulance, or sleepwalking takes on
wanting to discover more about one's Yet, and so new meanings when the sleeper can span.
hides in emptier rituals that avoid the possibility of Sleepwalking usually lasts between a second
such discovery, or even of much enjoying the spanner and thirty minutes. It is more common in children
life. than in adults, and can be induced by Hypnosis.
Sleepwalkers often perform routine daily functions
Paranoia while asleep, like walking the dog or washing dishes.
The irrational belief that the world is plot- Often their eyes are open, though they are asleep.
ting against you . Not enough can be written about Sleepwalking is related to the slow wave
this problem. Spanners, especially Pisceans, are sleep (SWS) part of the sleep cycle. SWS is believed
encouraged to study the cultures of the last half cen- to be part of the regenerative cycle of the cerebellum.
tury of the Piscean era when researching paranoia. Since Dreaming is related to the rapid-eye movement
A spanner can suffer from this when to (REM) part of sleep, a spanner is not likely to be in
""Hum an personality and it pathology, The Journal of Philosophy. Psychology and the Scientific Methods, 1919, 16, emphasis ours.
Chapter ID: Struggling C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
the Dreamtime while sleepspanning, and few clues Curing Mental Illness
abou t his sleepwalking habits are likely to be found For levellers, the casting out of inner demons
there. has taken many shapes over the centuries. Usually a
Sleepspanning is controlled by the GM, or priest or shaman, and only later licensed physicians,
by the Hypnotizing character, if applicable. Often the would administer healing drugs, or perform rituals
player simply isn't told where he is when he awak- that would apply stress to the body as a response to
ens, or what he was doing while somnambulent. the stresses place by disease or injury.
While it is quite conceivable for a sleepspan- For spanners, the corridors of the mind are
ner to span off into space, over a lava pit, or other intimately entwined into the use of sentient force.
oblivion- and would cause due alarm among his Symptoms of mental illness can persist after all frag
friends because of this- it's unfair by game stan- is cured, and long period of rest and therapy is
dards to have a hapless character get killed by wan- always recommended.
dering in his sleep. Therefore, the GM must allow The Dreamers, Quicker, and Physicians
the sleepspanner to awaken unharmed, though there Fraternities are especially equipped to deal with
is no stricture on how long their safety lasts upon spanner mental illness. Dreamers have the ability to
waking (i.e. on a raft surrounded by crocodiles, pinpoint the problem by Lucid Dreaming about the
falling from 30,000 feet, in the service module of victim, and sharing it with them. The Physicians
Apollo 13 sixteen seconds before launch, etc.) have many mental health professionals in their
Violations of the Fourth Maxim are quite possible, ranks. And the Quicker can tell if £rag is still
so cures for this are rapidly sought. involved, as well as recommend some exotic loca-
Span is not regained during any sleep inter- tions that only they might know about. The Quicker
rupted by sleepwalking or sleepspanning. are also adept at 'tough love': A spanner being petu-
lantly obsessive or apathetic can be roused by a
Taboos
creepy visit by this fraternity, as if someone's doom
The barriers of time being removed, many
were hanging by a thread. They usually know when
human taboos that are time-bound drop away, leav-
this is a helpful, rather than detrimental course of
ing only human willpower and a sense of ethics to
action.
prevent one from becoming a monster. The list of
The Physicians Fraternity also specialize in
once-forbidden possibilities tempting a spanner is
healing mental-related ailments that can affect a
remarkably long.
spanner's ability to span:
The laws of leveller nations cannot bind a
spanner, even the most circumspect one. The ethics
• Physical injury to the brain (and/or nervous system)
of theft and responsibility, and even murder, are put
-th.is can easily result in faulty spanning; the GM
to the test when no leveller authority can hope to
has details
catch you. The depths some go to find 'sport', sucb
• Allergies
as a leveller that became lost in the woods never to
-a big problem for Aquarians, certain exotic
return, make most spanners stomachs turn.
funguses or pollens can affect the nervous system
Sexual experimentation is to be expected in
• lntox.icants
some spanners, and shunned by others. Plural mar-
-counteracting drugs or alcohol to make it safe to
riages are illegal in the West in the 20th Century-
span
but not in certain places in the 19th. Some spanners
even become confused distinguishing between a lover
lntox.icated Spanners
of 21 years of age, and juniors of same, or elders
Spanning while drunk is a bad idea.
much older, even dying or dead. Some are ill or
Travelling more than a day in any direction
fragged individuals that need treatment. Others are
requires a roll against Span, or you miss your target.
narcissists who simply refuse all ethical bounds.
The first time you miss while drunk isn't deadly, and
Another healthy reason ch.ildren aren't candidates to
should sober you up. But subsequent spans while
become spanners.
drunk are treated as per Travell.ing Beyond One's
The Continuum is as tolerant of decadence
Span, pg. 35.
as it is tolerant of totalitarianism: Each have their
Again, spanning Levelly is always safe, but
place in the rounds of life. It is only when the need
while drunk, you might just be off a couple feet, and
for thrills or expressing intolerance reach the point
bound into a wall, or wind up on the far side of one
of creating frag does the Continuum call a just and
from where you're aiming. Being drunk while vio-
ready halt, and brand someone a narcissist.
lating the Fourth Maxim is absolutely no excuse.
But toying with taboos is inviting trouble; it
is really just practice for the temptation of breaking
Maxims. Keeping a balanced mind and healthy
human attitude is always preferable. It keeps one
away from that slippery slope into nothingness.
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Aging and the Human Perception of Time Passing
All the cells of the human body, with few
exceptions, regenerate every seven years. Thus a per-
son tends to look very different in every seven-year
cycle of their existence. It has been shown that
events of seven years in one's past are reviewed with
.. new insight, often with surprise and a sense that one
was considerably more foolish, or that fashions were
• Nostalgia usually sets in at intervals of four
teen or twenty-one years. Quaintness is a feeling one
naturally holds for a revered grandparent, and sets in
after at least forty years, or at about the second gen-
eration, from the times that seem quaint.
Interrupting Aging
When one begins to manipulate human flesh
to accommodate the desire to remain young and
alive for centuries, millennia, and onward, the body's
signals of cellular regeneration are altered, and many
of the subtle human emotions mentioned above (nos-
talgia, quaintness) are lost, sometimes forever.
This emotional brittleness is more evident in
pre-Aquarians, who one would expect to keep a
greater range of expressing feelings about the world.
(Aquarians are mostly born engineered, and there-
fore acclimate smoothly.) This is why Exalted seem
very aloof: They are not just superadult, they are
removed from the heady sluice of Life. They still feel
the range of emotions, but no longer experience the
needs of the day-to-day, as they were first born to
do. The wisest of them take time to play sports and
bake pies, before returning to Atlantean politics and
holding aloft the world.
Aging Table
Span Penalties
-1 Bod y -2 Bod y -3 Bod y -1 Mind -4 Body -2 Mind -5 Body -3 Mind
0 50 yea rs 60 yea rs 70 yea rs 80 years 90 years
1 55 yea rs 65 years 75 yea rs 90 yea rs 100 years
2 55 years 65 years 75 years 90 years 100 years
3 200 yea rs 250 yea rs 300 years 350 years 400 years
4 950 yea rs 1000 years 1100 years 1200 years 1400 years
5+ usuall y irrelevant
The GM may waive or increase any penal-
ties on the ta ble above. If Body or Mind reaches
Zero through penalties on this table, the spanner
keeps the Ability at l, but will die of natural causes
within 3 years after, and is bedridden until then.
Maximum Age is exceeding the last listed Age for
your Span on the Aging Table by 30 %, at which
point natural death occurs automatically.
A CAUTION TO PLAYERS:
CHAPTERS IV & V ARE FOR GAME MASTERS ONLY!
Do NOT READ ANY FURTHER INTO THESE CHAPTERS, STOP
UNLESS YOU ARE THE GM.
·;:,,
Rules
• gamemastering time trav,d~ help for the ,referee:
• handling players- prepare for the cleverest and the
most base
• designing a campaign- telling the tale while
keeping the game balanced
• notes on chapters I, II, and III- secrets only for
the GM _
• narcissists- who, when and why
• scenario ideas- adventure nuggets, and how to get
free scenarios online
Stories
• The other side of Cynthia Stirling's life, the secrets ·she ·
keeps every day, even from herself opposite
D'Terlizzi, (b. 1462)
Balance
Illumination from Q ,, the Nature· ofthe Greater Atmospheres
/AD 15 1'1)
pen-and-ink
Scriba l Librari um at Ligny
Chapter IV: Mastering C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
'Th e authors advise again r using the insulting term 'munchkin ' on an y particula r person, though odds are you ma y find one or more in your gaming group.
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Bored players. ber that you can surprise the players back with sud-
This is your fault, pal. If players start acting den spans of NPCs grabbing items or creating frag.
antsy or annoyed because the action isn't moving See Take Control of the Plot at Any Time, pg. 146.
fast enough, it's the referee's job to keep the ball
rolling.
Varying plot elements, introducing new and 2) Am I willing and able to let the players be
unusual characters, developing different time travel inventive?
related conundrums to solve, meeting challenges
posed by different Fraternities, are but a few of the Most GMs understand the need to allow
ways to maintain the interest level for players players some inventive control over how their char-
exploring C0 NTINUUM. acter acts and moves. But inventiveness in a spanner
If you need new campaign or scenario ideas, can lead to all kinds of mischief and mayhem. As
see ppg. 193-199. Observant GMs will notice that this long as the GM can adapt to fresh ideas, the may-
rulebook leaves many parts of the C0 NTINUUM uni- hem can remain entertaining and fun, and the plot
verse unwritten. While we hope the rules are as suffi- can stay mainly on track.
cient, complete and concise as explaining time travel
allows, the missing parts are by and large, deliberate. 3) Am I willing and able to slam player characters
Any universe is a big place, and the entire expanse of that break Maxims, and cause mischief that's
history makes C°NTINUUM astronomically vaster than counter to the Continuum?
the average RPG. See The Far Horizon, pg. 151.
Some GMs don't like to be drawn into
becoming the punisher, preferring players to make
their own destinies. In C0 NTINUUM, part of those des-
B. Designing the tinies involve fighting for one's existence, and fight-
ing one's own baser nature for the right to that exis-
Campaign tence. Despite their obvious might, the player charac-
ters are fragile, and most will need a reminder at
some point.
The Question of Game As stated elsewhere, the Continuum is toler-
ant of a wide range of behavior- it just isn't toler-
Balance ant of causing frag to aggrandize oneself. Spanners
that realize that their place and power is more out-
side of history than in it, tend to fare the best.
0
The player characters in C NTlNUUM are the And just remember that every point of frag
most powerful ever designed for an RPG. you hand out has an as/as not somewhere where it
can be fixed. See Frag, pg. 53.
They can teleport and travel time at will.
Finally, see the Two Answers on pg. 146.
And they will show off every chance they get.
Story Writing Basics
Some traditionally-minded GMs may find
themselves at a loss with such powerhouses loose. A While the players will be putting their cre-
standard 'dungeon' with standard 'monsters' or
ative spin on any scenario you design, th e 'story' of
'treasure' would be easy pickings for spanners, but
the game is first yours to command. And since you
of little interest to them. A carefully balanced plot
want to impress the teleporting time travellers, you
might be undone in a moment if the players all
should have a command of what goes into creating a
decide to run off to another Era without warning.
good story.
The GM has to ask himself certain questions
0
going into a C NTINUUM campaign: Plot and Pacing
1) Am I willing and able to let the player characters
Plot is a series of decisions.
run amok in time?
In an action movie, the decisions are mostly
actions. In a more talky movie, or well-written book,
This is a mindset necessary for running
the decisions take on a number of forms. Usually the
c0 NTINUUM. While the Continuum's social strictures villain makes the first decision, something that the
set upon the characters are sufficient to limit their
hero must react to, or discover and then react to.
'absolute power', it helps if the GM is flexible
In a roleplaying game, decisions are mostly
enough to handle complete surprise. Always remem-
made by player characters which the NPCs react to.
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
This allows the players the feeling that they have Motivation
control over their characters' lives, much as average Motivation is what a character desires.
human beings desire to have control over their lives. When a serious actor asks, "What's my
In a story, of course, these decisions reach a mean- motivation?" it's the same question the rest of ask
ingful resolution which satisfies the audience (i.e. the when we decide why to take a job, or which books
villain gets a comeuppance, the artifact is retrieved, to read, games to play, food to buy, etc. It's "Why do
I care about doing this? " Simply put, it's what the
the family is reunited, and so on).
character wants or needs to do.
Pacing is speed at which the plot moves. In The GM needs to create a plot that moti-
0
C NTINUUM, pacing is what your gaming group vates the player characters. While being sent forth on
makes it. If you prefer a slower rolepla ying style (a tasks by one's mentor, or a Span Four, may function
'talkie' movie), then spanning and climactic scenes to begin an adventure, events that personally interest
will be more rare, and character development will the characters will better engage the interest of the
take up much of your time. If your group prefers players. And NPCs, especially villains, need motiva-
hunting down the bad guys and maybe getting in tions to remain believable.
some serious combat (an action movie) then the pace Having an identifiable villain always helps a
of events will be like lightning striking, with spans story along. If the villain has a clear goal motivating
him, his pursuit of it, and the heroes' (player charac-
possibly outnumbering words of dialogue spoken.
ters' ) efforts to stop him will keep the plot rolling.
Or anything in between- some of the best Note that in C0 NTINlJUM the villain himself may
movies pace action scenes against dialogue to make remain a mystery for some time- it's only important
both more interesting. See also Campaign Tips- that the villain can be identified- which is usually
Pacing the Secrets, pg. 151. the first task for a bunch of investigating spanners.
Continuity
Continuity is the art of making sense. Campaign Tips
Keeping plot and characters on track and believable.
(It is also, on the cosmic scale, the business of the Every GM's campaign is unique. 2 Therefore,
Continuum.) Decisions build upon one another. If a we present some general insights on how to con-
0
character in a book or movie makes a decision that struct a successful C NTINUUM campaign.
contradicts his earlier decisions, the audience wants
to know why. Start Fresh
If it is a revealing, surprising character Set your initial games in your recent past. If
trait- such as an heroic starship captain that hates you're playing C NTINUUM in "real time" 2002, begin
0
children, or a villainous vampire lord that really tries the setting of your game in 2000 or 1999 so that
to be a good father and understand his vampire your novice spanners will have familiar territory to
son- then the audience grows more interested: Why run around in.
is that character like that? Good writing reveals the If you find your spanners have sneaked into the
answers in enticing ways. " real-time" near future, and are concerned for conti-
But more often, contradiction is just bad nuity, do a little research between games for the
writing. A superhero detective who has long dates planned for the completion of public works
foresworn firearms , suddenly adds machine guns to and movie release dates, which studios sometimes
his supervebicle -all with no explanation. The ques- scheduled more than a year in advance, and include
tion the audience asks is the same- Why is that titles they haven't heavily advertised to the public
character like that?- only here they expect to be yet. While there's no guarantee these estimates will
cheated; the author or director didn't care enough to be accurate, setting adventures in buildings and
keep their plot making sense. How many times have parks that haven't been built yet, or near theatres
you come out of a movie theatre pointing out just playing as-yet unheard-of movies can be a real thrill
these kinds of flaws in a film with your friends? for your players once those days arrive, and the
places and films turn out to be real.
In C°NTINuuM, continuity is literally the Of course, your best predictions for the near
name of the game. Not keeping causality straight, future can backfire. The mayor never gets the stadi-
getting fragged, screwing up geminis- bad continu- um built, or a film on the release schedule is down-
ity is fatal. Any nitpick the players (or yourself) have graded to straight-to-video, or even dropped alto-
about how the plot hangs together can turn into a gether. It will be up to you to decide whether to
full-scale spanner war getting it fixed. change your campaign to suit real events, or declare
your campaign's events to be the "real, unchangeable
Continuum universe", and the one the players go
home to a "mere narcissist fantasy". Just never for-
get that yours is only a game.
'The Continuum tolerates multiple GMs and campa igns as a necessity of leveller roleplaying games, but stresses aga in there is onl y one universe.
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Pacing the Secrets daughter suspects you are a sky-god, and that you
It may be impossible to keep players from are here to help usurp the succession by killing her
peeking into the GM chapters of this book: They may rival sister- the future Cheinethap II, the Fire
own their own copy of C0 NTINUUM, or have pla yed or Queen, conqueror of the Degesh, who not incidental-
GMed before. So many of the secrets of the ly orders the founding of Damascus as a frontier
Continuum are going to have to be ones you devise. fort.
And these secrets invariably center around people. But the history of the Vielavayan is lost to
A slimy nest of narcissists that are nigh archeologists; the evidence is muddled in unlettered
impossible to pinpoint, an aloof Scribe that takes graves across Rumania, or lost beneath the swirling
umbrage with the corner's every move, an Exalted waters of the Black Sea. ln reality, all the names and
that mysteriously keeps bringing strangers together. events of the Vielavayan were invented for the
Each of these characters plainly have a wealth of c 0 NTINUUM game. But historians have no clearer pic-
unspoken motivations they keep secret. ture of most these unlettered Eras beyond what peo-
Withholding and revealing information is ple grew to eat and the pots they stored the food in.
what Continuum spanners do on a regular basis. Meeting the famous need not be limited to what
There should be little trouble in pacing how secrets Piscean levellers can remember. The characters will
should be revealed. As player characters investigate remember, and keeping many of the secrets of histo-
and pursue villains, the GM can make information ry is what makes playing C0 NTINUUM unique.
become 'available' at the most dramatic moments,
spurring the plot. Don't let the awesome power of Gather Resources
time travel play to the easy advantage of the charac- Much is made of historical roleplaying sup-
ters: The Continuum only wants things to be discov- plements. Volumes about known eras of history tai-
ered at the right time for each. lored to a specific game system or product Line
abound. The authors of C0 NTINUUM recommend find-
The Far Horizon ing actual books on history for your settings, since
This is a secret of good storytelling: Keep you can learn something while building your cam-
them coming back for more. paign. Plots and Motivations for adventures are uni-
versal throughout human existence; historical peri-
J.R.R. Tolkien, our Cynthia Stirling's ods are best discovered from writers of history,
favorite author, observed in his essay " On Fairy- rather than game designers.
Stories" (AD 1938) the importance of always pre- Obvious resources are history books, ency-
senting another unexplored vista, to encourage the clopedias, newspaper archives, The History Channel,
wonder and imagination of his audience. ln light of websites, and so on. Wherever reliable (or at least
this, he complained of a movie treatment of his novel entertaining) information on history can be found.
(Zimmerman, AD 1958) that the screenwriter had A perpetual calendar useful for 1582-2222 is
irritating 'faults' for 'anticipation', moving events contained herein in Appendix C: Counting the Days,
Down to well before they're meant to be experi- pg. 214. It's often fun to surprise a young spanner
enced. that the day they chose to Go Down and see the
Time travel throws a ... spanner into this antique dealer was a Sunday, and he's closed.
worldview. If you can simply travel to an outcome, There are already several worthy books and
what does th at do for plot and pacing? The solution collections of rules for would-be GMs of a time travel
is in the Yet- knowing an "outcome" doesn t mean game, and you can visit our website (www.aetherco.com)
there isn't more to discover: How does the outcome to discover the best that we and others have to offer.
come about, who benefits from it, who is angered Usually game authors encourage inspiration from
and reacts to it, and so on and on. There is always books and movies to gain ideas for adventures. ln
another vista in the distance when exploring the the case of C0 NTINUUM, however, a serious eye is cast
avenues of time. upon time travel, and many sci-fi entertainments are
So many great events are crammed into found wanting, even some of the most popular ones.
every century, that when one looks into what one The Continuum recommends the study of these only
scholar called the "collection of rags and tatters" of to understand the errors conta ined in them. For
ancient history, one realizes that incredible adven- comparison, see Appendix A: Fallacies and Follies,
tures, passions and surprises lie waiting in the cav- pg. 212.
ernous spaces of these unwritten millennia.
Meeting Ramsses the Great may be a thrill, Basking in Your Own Mistakes
but what about Auneizza, a king of sixth Dynasty Many early adventures can be derived from
Vielavayan? Defying the bronze spears of his leg- the mistakes of fledgling spanners. It's likely many
endary cavalry to protect the lsh-Yangi nomads in players will attempt to experiment with what's possi-
their yearly trek between the Yellow River and Indus ble in the Continuum, and new spanner characters
valleys is no small feat, not when his youngest from the 20th and 21st centuries might still harbor
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
fallacies about time travel based on what they've consequent danger of drawing all levellers in before
een in the media. Judicious allotment of Frag should the Hour of the Inheritance, recruitment assumes an
keep the more rambunctious elements in line, while utterly planned civilization . A recruited Continuum
letting everyone have a good time playing. would shatter its flexibility. Consider: lf recruitment
It's al o possible that you made an error in were the norm, levellers would be kidnapped rather
judgement while GMing that leaves some event than invited, told what their function in spacetime
unexplained, or badly explained. In C0 NTINUUM, this was destined to be, and the foreboding determiQistic
can be the impetus for a whole new adventure. The nightmare Yet we all seek to avoid would be the only
corner discovers that a situation they thought they dark reality.
solved still has some loose ends, and begin to uncov- lf there is still a leve ller tha t is just too good
er the narcissist evil/ Quicker intrigue/ leveller curios- not to recruit, discuss the situation with an Exalted
ity/ whatever plot you concoct, that has caused the before deliberately approaching someone.
discrepancy. Narcissists, on the other hand, do actively
recruit, and while they prefer corrupting Continuum
Quick Plot Ideas spanners into their own private hells, some steal and
If you need plot ideas on the fly, some are use Physician technology to create new spanners of
available starting on pg. 193. their own. These usuaJly hail from the fastness of
Antedesertium, where the Continuum's interventions
are most difficult.
C. GM's Notes to These uninvited spanners are called crashers
(after party-crashers; among other terms) and are
Chapters I, II and III special prizes among the Foxhorn. Crashers are
almost always killed or £ragged out from the instant
they are discovered for what they are, even if seem-
This is where further information, not avail- ing innocent. There's often no telling what post-hyp-
able to novice spanners, can be found. Cross-refer- notic time bombs or physical illnesses crashers are
ences to the derivative sections are listed throughout. carrying, even if they seem like nice people. They
have had no training or nurturing from the
Continuum, and are therefore the most unpre-
The Invitation & the dictable of
Spanners of less than Span Three are not
In-Between given much information about crashers (except for
notable Span Twos in the Foxboro, Quicker and
Invitation vs. Recruitment Physician Fraternities) as it threatens their perspec-
Nearly all new spanners are discovered by tive of a secure, nurturing Continuum. Further infor-
accidents involving the Fourth Maxim. Some wonder mation on crashers is available on pg. 192.
why active recruitment isn't pursued more vigorous-
ly. While reams of spanner philosophy have been Second Thoughts
written on this subject, the answer is actually quite On rare occasions, an invitee will have sec-
obvious. ond thoughts about joining [pg. 8], especially once
The invitation is how spanners are born in the Threes take them as ide to have their body
the Societie . It i no mere simile: Since spanners are opened . While the situation is unlikely ro arise for a
forbidden to be raised from infancy in Societal player character ( "You do want ro play this game,
pacetime, an invitation i the closest spanners come don't you?"), it can be a dramatic moment when an
to raising families of their own kind. The fact that NPC leveller shrinks from their chosen fate, and tries
to run screaming back tO their mommy.
your newborn sibling is in their teens or twenties is
not so shocking when you consider that the lifetime The corner and higher Spans may have to
of a spanner is hundreds, thousands of years, or reevaluate the invitee. Perhaps their mental stability
more. The surprises in store at every invitation are is insufficient to become a spanner after all. If the
more natural and human than any recruitment pro- invitee has already devoted a great deal of level time
gram could hope to be- and also looks less suspi- preparing, or has learned too much before the In-
cious to any leveller attempting inquire about the Berween, he may have to be eliminated, rather than
corner. returned. ln certain cases where the corner has
Recruitment is a tactic of a military or a absolutely no memories of the doubting invitee as a
police organization, or a government. Anything Like spanner, this is often seen as the best course. (The
impressment or the draft in a time travel environ- GM can always declare certain encounters having
ment would be devastating to recruiter and recruitee been in the corner's experience, or even in their Yets,
a like. Leaving aside the door to nepotism and the though this may be seen as extreme or confusing to
some players.)
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Unfamiliar Invitees too bruti h to grasp spanning. At a remove of over
It may happen that the corner has accepted 100,000 BC, it is a rare human indeed th at can earn
a n ew mem ber that they have little or no experience the full admiration of the Continuum; nearly all
with; an odd occurrence indeed. The GM is free to human spanners in chis period have travelled there
devise what happens to NPC novices who fit this from the distant Societies.
description, as not participating much with the cor- Homo sapiens bas severa l unguessed cousins
ner th at found him is obviously in his Yet. Early who become wise enough to span. But th eir numbers
death is not recommended, though possible. Other are so small, that even if all of their last few genera-
explanations include narcissist recruitment, a run- tions had learned spanning, the numbers of humans
away (like Sven in the story Out in Society, pg. 118,) from the Piscean on Up would dwarf theirs. Still,
or even a kidnapping or seeming kidnapping by a members of these intelligent primate civilizations
high Span intriguer or new love r... The corner can shou ld be watched out for, as they have our mutual
either take up the adventure of finding this wayward ancestors' native curiosity- and many of their
son, let the rest of the Continuum know, or the GM habits.
can have an elder of the character appear to set
hearts and minds at ease (though an adventure is
probably more fun than a mere explanation). Span One
Administering the white light Day Job [pg. 36)
Once a leveller agrees to join the spanning While having a 'Clark Kent' persona is
life, he is Hypnotized [pg. 115) as soon as possible. handy, it's up to the individual gaming group to
The Hypnotism is only to set a marker in the sub- decide how much of their own time they want to
ject's mind, and little else. This marker determines spend playing these day jobs. Many will prefer to cut
the time at which the subsequent memory-suppres- to the chase, and seek the dangers of fighting narcis-
sion shall begin. Shortly afterward, the spanner is sists and impressing their fellow spanners. But occa-
created [pg. 167] . siona ll y it can be fun to bring the fight to the hum-
Key neurons devoted to memorizing short- drum workplace, ironically to save its very mundani-
term memory are sorted during the spanner's cre- ty. Feel free to sec scenarios in the spanner's places of
ation. After months of practice and making friends, work and classrooms, if saving them from disruption
the initiate is checked by a Physician to determine if is the theme of that night's session.
sufficient spanning skill has been retained into It can also help to illuminate the fact that
instinctual memory, and if certain names and habits while spanners have to interact with levellers, it can
are retained in the spanner's deep memory. The initi- be stressful to deal with them on a day-to-day basis,
ate is then taken to see their actual corner for the and every move can seem like toadying to cull their
first time, and the attending Physician suppresses the favor, just to keep them in the dark. Th.is can be
short-term memory neurons, forcing them to retract enormously frustrating to the mighty beings the
their dendrites until a specific moment. Technology spanners are by nature. As GM, you're encouraged
exists in abundance to make these neurons hibernate, to help them along with stuff from their elders, to
though Hypnotism [pg. 115] will often suffice, as spare them slipshanking endlessly... though either
these neurons have been specially prepared. Residual way it put things in their Yet.
memory impressions often remai n; these are from the 12. Level Playing Field
odd few neurons that shared some of the experiential
information during the in-between. Cynthia is still new to the Continuum; she is
The moment of memory restoration is the hoping to get somewhere in her relationship with Clay
sharing of the creation by spanner's elder Span Horston, even if he's only a leveller, and only a football
Three, assuming be earns that Span. This experience player. She spans Up a day to the janitor's closet in his
also reacquaints the spanner with forgotten parts of apartment building and knocks on his door, hoping to
his Yet, some of which may even have come to pass surprise him that evening.
Clay was oddly stern with her. "Wheres the
in the interim! [See the story These Are The Good
stuff for the party?"
Old Days, pg. 177.] Cynthia blinks. "Stuff." She hasn ~ heard of
any party. Not even hello? I have to fake this again. "OH,
Population and the minimum sophistication for right! I must have left it in the car."
spanners "What car?"
Human population generally increases Bother. Car is next month. But is Clay still in
throughout the time of the Societies: Thus, the Piscean my life next month? "Sorry. I meant stairs."
and Aquarian Eras have the vast majority of spanners. Clay skwunched his face. "Stairs? Why?"
Uncoincidentally, the development of these Eras "I was looking for my keys. But ... I don't have
keys to your room, do I." I have never felt more blonde.
allows for the wider acknowledgement of time travel.
"No. So just, y'know, bring up the stuff before
At some point Down there, Mankind is just
Chapter IV: Mastering C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
someone swipes it, e . " oys, anything might be tlie outcome of this game, to
Cynthia closes the door on him. he slips oi,t them. Cynthia knows what little of Clay she has yet to
her span book and jots down in her Yet "find out what put up with, and starts becoming glad.
+ buy party stufr. A rustle beside her. A crumpled bag I am a demigoddess, and you are dust. Dust
of grocerie , mostly beer, is now there. he didn ~ slip- on my feet. She imagines her Yet, the chance of picking
shank that, it was her eider's choice, pretty much. She up Cla.v and dropping him naked into Nero's Forum to
notes "and drop it off' on the next line. race some lions in the sand. Fourth Maxim. That
Pocketing her book she opens the door again. would be wrong, but. She smiles, and enjoys the rest
Cla.v was still near the door, scratching his chest. of the game.
"Here they are!" 1by men running, grabbing and tossing one
"Whoa. That was fast. You made it to the another to the ground.
stairs and back?''
"Yeah! Well. no. I had them ... closer." Spanning (pg. 32)
Clay came up, ran his hand through her hair
and planted a big long kiss on her. 'That's for my little Span Ones and Twos don't learn the secret
spanner," he said, taking a beer, and moseying back of how they ' learned' to span until they earn Span
towards his tu Three. There is a very sapient reason for this:
Bliss slams into shock. "Clay," she says quiet- Inexperience with temptation. Narcissists love to
ly. "What time is it?" recruit from the ranks of the inexperienced . See
"Oh. a little after five-thirty. Starting to won-
Narcissists- Secret Ploys and Countermeasures:
der where you were."
Mechanically, she starts putting items in the Recruitment, pg. 192.
fridge. "Whyel you call me a spanner." For the details on how to span, see Span
"Something Rob told me. He's the new British Three- How Spanning Works, pg. 174. [See also
guy. they made him running back. It's a Brit word. Chapter 5: Knowing- Time Travel in the Real
Means you're cute." World, pg. 208.]
"Oh yeah. That's funny. Never heard that one
before." You dirty pig. Liar! Spanning Away with an Item
"Hey set the chips and stuff out. eh? The As long as it's within his grasp, and within
guys 'll be here any sec."
his weight limit, a spanner can span with anything
Okay Darrin, honey. "Right ... " Cynthia takes
down bowls for the chips and pretzels from her Yet. made of matter. As long as everything solid he wish-
She stares at them a long moment, seeing them as es to span with is connected by touch back to him-
they are. on the shelf farther Down, being used farther (touching something that is touching something that
Up. waiting for her Level. And he can l see that. Even his flesh is touching)- the objects come along for
that. Why am I here? the span. Gases and liquids can also be spanned, but
"Hey sweetie, next time make it earlier so the must either be in a solid container, or be touching
beer gets rold." He watched the pre-game pontificating, the spanner's flesh directly.
as if the tu were his lover. Something is missing here, Spanning amidst uncontained forces of ener-
Clay, and it has nothing to do with your being chronally-
gy (such as lightning, unstable isotopes) wiU usuaUy
challenged ...
They began to arrive. Joe and Thurgood she result in natural £rag [pg. 158). Contained sources of
knows, but a couple more seemed to know her, includ- energy (such as batteries) can be carried at no penalty.
ing one that had to be Rob, by the accent. They compli- If two spanners attempt to span away with
mented Clay on his taste in blonde, and made various the same object simultaneously, the higher Quick
requests for brew. She finds herself apologizing for the always gains the object. When Quicks are tied, the
temperature of each bottle. highest Span gains the object. If both Quick and
As they assembled in the other room, Cynthia Span are tied, each character must roU; lowest gains
Yound she didn l want to leave the kitchen. I am not the object.
going to let this get to me. She knows the odds of get-
Spanners who are awake and moderately
ting Clay to come and talk about how she felt are
equivalent to a sparrow being invited to join the alert cannot be spanned elsewhere against their will
Continuum. But she tries, she has to see and hope (unless they're in, say, an Inheritor ship or equiva-
she's wrong. lently overpowering situation).
At the doorway, she calls. -Clay?"
"Hey. babe. Sit down here by me." Clay and Limitations to Spanning
his pals have all the chairs; he was tapping the fl,oor A note on momentum, body positions, and
with his foot. The dog's spot on the mat. If it wasn \ for selective items. The nature of spanni ng across time
the Fourth Maxim ... But Cynthia accepts this moment and space makes details like one's physical velocity
of leveller humiliation, thinking of Evana, thinking of
when one leaves or enters a space moot. You can be
the million dollars she'll never share with him.
She takes the position at his feet, and watches thrown upside-down, handcuffed and blindfolded
'football. Nut month, car and no Clay. That was too out of a speeding airplane, and span to the ground
easy. Damn sad. free from bonds, and walking quietly. Just watch out
The announcer began to yell, and so did the for those handcuffs falling from 3000 feet. (Sorry, no
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
change of clothes on the way.) The worst that can Gemini Incidents (pg. 39)
happen is that if you span while jogging, you might The " Known Geminis" are the number of
lose your rh rhm. junior incidents that must occur while the character
is at that Span, before he can advance. Elder inci-
Span Table (pg. 34) dents can, of course, complete the incident at any
Spans higher than 5 continue the expoential point in the spanner's Yet.
increase in abilities (Span Sixes can travel 100,000 One question that comes up is: Why assign
yea rs and miles, carry 500 tons; Sevens can travel a the number of Gemini Incidents when a spanner
million years, and so on) . All loyal spanners of Span reaches a new Span at all? This is a game conven-
5 and up are called 'Exalted'. See also Who approves tion, to make keeping track of geminis easier for
Spans beyond 5? pg. 105. players and GMs alike, and to limit a player's ability
to initiate geminis (see pg. 40]. Thus, the character
Age (pg. 36) need not know how many gemirus they are destined
While it isn't emphasized, Age is also called for, only the player.
the Required Past, being the usual target for narcis- The actual Continuum accepts gemin is sim-
sist frag attacks. It is the equal opposite of the Yet. ply as they occur. If the playing group finds this a
Since human beings are used to remember- preferable method , they may do away with rolling
ing the past in their natural state, learning additional up "Known geminis" and merely list the geminis as
definitions for Age at the get-go is found to be con- they happen on another line of their Yet- but the
fusing for some novices, with so much else to learn. GM wi ll have to watch out for too many slip-
Mentors can mention this definition to their novices shanked geminis.
when they have a grasp of the basics. [See Also Age- For spanners native to or fighting in the
Thwarring Technology and Other Medtech, pg. 167.) Geminid Era for any significant amount of time, the
GM should multiply the number of resulting inci-
The Zodiac Eras dents by 10 (0 - 100 incidents). The reason for this is
Much is made of in the rules as to what Era the vast amounts of spanner activity in that Era,
one belongs to. Normally, the Era you are born in is much of it military in nature. GMs that have some
the one you are identified by, though characters who major military campaign in mind might even wish
are born in one Era but experience their invitation in the spanner to roll a straight dl00 x 10! (10 - 1000
the next, are often referred to a cusp spanners, and gerninis.) This would make for platoons of selves ...
are considered native to both. (Sven in the story
Beside Myself with Laughter, [pg. 43,] is slightly Etiquette with a young gemini
mistaken in calling Cynthia an 'Aquarian cusp After a few centuries of being a spanner,
woman' - though she is very very close.) one's infancy as a leveller can easily get forgotten.
A similar situation is experienced by They don 't know it's you, so don't boss them
Aquarian spanners who are born after the Hour of around! They shouldn't even be allowed to recognize
the Inheritance [AD 2222] but before the end of the you, in keeping with the Fourth Maxim.
Societies [AD 2400]; they can claim affinity to both
Societal and Inheritor civilizations. [See the descrip- Facing Death and Surviving it (pg. 40)
tion of the character Ting As, pg. 82.] Aquarians
born after AD 2400 are early Inheritors, and are It may occur to some players, "Hey. If I can
restricted from visiting Societal spacetime, except slip away from the icy fingers of death, why go
when sent on incursions to known events [pg. 104]. back? Surely I can get some kind of future tech clone
corpse to stand-in, or some poor stooge to take the
"Instant" Skills (pg. 40) hit for me. If I set it up right, causality is served and
Players may be tempted to abuse this possi- no leveller need be the wiser."
bility, but note carefully how long it takes to learn a Corpses remain a sign of suspicious behav-
skill. Age can add up quickly, especia lly for a novice ior. Even spanners look twice at someone who asks
spanner, who might feel arthritic before reaching to get a corpse.
Span Two if he can't control his Skill-grabbing habit. Don't expect Thespians to jump at the
Additionally, since the player is a greater chance of playing a corpse. And Physicians will
hurry than the character to get back to the adven- rarely grow a dead clone for spanners. You have to
ture, the character is stuck with weeks or months of be a pretty impressive Exalted to be able to order up
their lives in one spot studying, vulnerable to narcis- a completely convincing dead version of yourself [see
sist attack. Time Combats where 'Instant' Skills are 24th century nanotech, pg. 168). Narcissists are
being targeted are very popular with the bad guys known for pulling stunts with lookalike corpses,
(who probably prefer the spanner to not have the what's your excuse? Most of your friends are going
skill needed to save the day), making this an effective to £rune why you want a dead duplicate of yourself,
way to keep this from being abused . thus spreading the suggestion that you may not be
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
trustworthy, or meant to live or exist long.
The reason for all rhis is that if everyone
was allowed to just keep shortcheating Death, no
spanner would ever die- and that would have
dire consequences for the universe and all life
therein. If you die, enjoy any brief escape you're
allowed, but then face your Yet like a red-blood-
ed member of the Continuum.
Responsibility-
Chapter Two states: " If you don 't handle
your Yet and your Frag, your friends have to. If
they can't or won 't, your mentor has to. If he or
she can't handle it, the Exalted step in." And of
course, if the Exalted cannot handle an incident
of frag, the Inheritors will. [See the Inheritors on
pg. 103 and pg. 186.]
Switching Fraternities
You may be personally adept at a wide
Span Two range of skills, but still choose to employ them for
one Fraternity over another. For example, a spanner
Warning regarding travel in Aquarian Era who is a disenfranchised Shao-Lin monk with great
Danger potentially awaits the novice spanner power in Dreaming and martial arts roams the
everywhen, but near the borders of the Societies, too American southwest in the 1800s looking to right
many mistakes, both social and temporal can be wrongs. He could join the Foxhorn, or the
c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Dreamers. Or perhaps his desire for chronicling leads The Subjects Of Debate
him into the Scribes, but still uses his Dreaming to Listed for the GM, for easy reference
counsel people when he can, and his rounds of deliv-
ering information leads him into situations where he Subject Frats taking major issue
can kick villain butt. with it
A spanner would have to be terribly disap- Wealth Antiquarians, Moneychangers
pointed in their choice of Fraternity to want to Art Antiquarians, Scribes, (Thespians)
witch entirely to a different one. A better option is Invention Engineers, Thespians
to try moving to a new corner, which is alwa ys an Tool (Discovery)Engineers, Physicians
open possibility; move to a distant enough locality, Death Foxhorn, Quicker
and most qualms need not follow. Life Midwives, Physicians
Some Fraternities tend to look for special-
Subjects, or between them (ie Life vs. Death). The
ists, rather than jacks-of-all-trades (Physicians and
Debates are almost always over the meaning of each
Dreamers, for example). However, it is unlikely that
Subject.
anyone with a genuine calling will be turned away.
But having learned one Fraternity's secrets, the con- Secrets
cern may be insurmountable if a spanner simply Here folJows some of the secrets of the
decides to forgo his brethren and try another. Who's Fraternities; some are serious, some playful, and
to say where you're wandering with this internal some are quite ugly. It's up to the GM how much
information? and when any of this information comes into the
The one exception that's universally accept- hands of the players:
ed is when a spanner has ethical qualms about the
Fraternity they've joined. This can be either a per- Antiquarians (pg. 64)
sonal aversion (less stomach for killing than you
thought before you joined Foxhorn; not able to Desired Skill List
wrench your heart around the baby-swapping of the History (Antiques)
Midwives you joined, too frightened of the fragged History (Various Eras and Localities)
individuals your chronies in the Quicker seek, ere.) Stealth
or a philosophical disagreement, usually on the basis Investigation
of one of the Subjects of Debate. This latter is Read/Speak (Various Languages)
regarded as a very noble and honorable reason to Security
alter one's path in spanner life, especially by Span Acumens
Fours and the Exalted- though you will be expected Administration
to be able to state and discuss your position at Appraisal
length, if any high Spans inquire. While it's suspected by many, the scale of the truth
While philosophy is seen as a frivolous exer- of it is not. Most believe that it stops at petty
cise by many levellers, especially at the time this shoplifting, with the occasional art heist slipped in
book is first seeing press, it is quite diiferent for here or there. But no, it's far worse. The average
spanners, who see man and the universe throughout Antiquarian is a big time thief.
their history- and who live lives long enough to Now, a word of caution. They believe it to
need such ponderings. Dreamers, who mostly stay be 'borrowing' because they return everything.
outside these Debates, call it the 'religion of the Absolutely everything, they second after they take it,
Continuum', though this is a tongue-in-cheek defense and they have the network to easily accomplish it.
of their percepti.on of the Drearntime's spiritual supe- Bur they enjoy the things for many years at a time.
riority. These Antiquarians, in secret rooms, and distant
Debates are not always formal- they're homes with obscure addresses, live surrounded by an
held anywhen two or more spanners are together absurd luxury. Some have all of Donatello's work
with a Subject in contention. If tbe results are (yes all, walls and frescoes included) crammed into
believed of interest, transcripts are sent to the their secret palaces, others fill their homes with
Scribes. unique manuscripts, or live animals doomed to
extinction, or carpets and furniture from the palaces
The importance of the Subjects of Debate is
of every king and prince. One is noted for collecting
always based around its relevance to spanner civi-
small lakes: His Leonid estate in the depths of the
lization. What these concepts mean to levellers is less
dying Sahara is a wonder of its Era, and is visited by
important.
a few higher-ups in the Foxhorn. Another has built a
It has been observed that they fall into three fantastic city of 'lost' buildings, high in the
distinct diads: Wealth/Art, Invention/fool Death/Life. Cancerean Andes. And the fleet of the salvager called
There is less argument over the duality of these 'DJ' is called by his fellows the 'Dream of the
Chapter IV: Mastering c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Atlantic' and o it is- in 6000 BC. Dreamrime- once the work for the Societies and the
AJso, this truth is usually reserved for Span Inheritors is done.
Threes, but many resourceful Twos ferret it out.
This is one of the reasons th ey see the Dream Squads
Moneychangers and their take on Wealth as point- The Drea mers' Fraternity jealously guards
less and empty. Money is for gimps: Antiquarians their Grandmaster Dreamers, especially those with
have the shortcut. Skills worth learning. Because of the efficacy of
[More notes on the Antiquarians are found Dream Learning a nd Combat [see Chapter 3:
under the Engineers, pg. 163, and the Physicians, pg. Struggling- Dreaming & Communication- Dream
166, below.] Combat & Learning, ppg. 110-111,] the Fraternity
forms Dream Squads of champion dream ers arou nd
Dreamers (pg. 67) them, teams who are unafraid of facing any chal-
Desired Skill List lenge of Dream Combat- especia1ly the threat posed
Dreaming by Telepaths [pg. 110]. Many of the best Squads are
Observation made of of Telepaths, just to give back what's com-
Read/Speak (Various Languages) ing to certain abusers of the Dreamtime.
Investigation
Acumen Dream Techniques
Meditation While the schools of Dreaming are myriad
Occultism throughout the cultures of mankind, there are some
Various Religions basic techniques Lucid Dreamers use to narrow in on
the meanings of dreams. Some of the constant ques-
Most Dreamers are encouraged to see the Dreamtime tions Lucid Dreamers ask while in the moment:
as a place of great spiritual awakening. Where the • Did 1 invent this? Knowing where an
doubts of the religions of the ages can be set aside, impression originates is like reading the state off a
and the true possibility of harmonious mankind can car's license plate: You know where it started.
unfold. While most other spanners in the Continuum • Why did I invent this? A deeper question
are fairly aware of this, they see little harm in this by far, usually solved by context. If your elder said
navel-searching. As long as messages get through, something cryptic to you, you would try to puzzle it
most spanners have little interest in the Dreamtime. out. The sa me applies here; you're passing informa-
But at Spans of Three and above, some tion to yourself.
Dreamers may be introduced to a kind of heresy. • ls someone else trying to tell this to me,
Many leaders of the Fraternity insist the Dreamtime and why? Lucid Dreamers are better trained than
is another universe. most in others' motives and how it relates to them.
The Dreamtime escapes so many of the con- The Dreamtime is referred by some as the 'filter of
ventions by which the Continuum is bound to serv- the soul': the symbols and signals sent by someone
ing the universe, and even defies the cycles of life controlling a dream milieu [pg. 164] can, like the
and death, as unborn souls and departed spirits all style of a fiction author, reveal much mo.re about the
commune together there. Since the Maxims are near- dreamer than the message itself.
meaningless there, it begs the question of how va lu- • Is this an abstract truth? The Dreamtime
able they are to mankind. But tbe Fraternity does not itself may present an archetype or general symbol to
seek a war with the Continuum, only an unthreaten- help guide you, or warn yo u off a line of inquiry.
ing place aside from it. (Another proof of the Dream time's difference from
This is not a Subject of Debate, because for the Continuum: It acts, where the Continuum's uni -
the Continuum it is not to be debated. All discussion verse is wholly acted upon.)
on the subject of Dreamtime's independence is to left
in the Dreamtime. The occasional spanner that hears Careful analysis of lucid dreams with ques-
of the Dreamer's heresy is approached at once by tions like these can parse out the meaning of all but
Tjarapu, Burn or Karanda, or one of their close con- the more obscure riddles presented.
fidants. Such spanners are usually troubled when dis-
cussing the Fraternity; it is conjectured that either a [More notes on the Dreamers a re found
Dream Squad [see below] is set to tailing them, or under the Foxboro, pg. 164.]
even a post-hypnotic suggestion has been left, sup-
pressing the information, and spooking them good.
23rd century nanotech (c. 2222 - 2312) Adventures for the Quicker usually begin
Span Fours are the main pre-Aquarian bene- with a heavy dose of known information. The price
ficiary of this tech when utilized ro its full capacity, of being a 'ghost-buster' is having a heavily bur-
as it allots and perfects youth and health for at least dened Yet.
1000 years of Age. Spanning itself creates the limita- Most Quicker corners have an Aquarian
tion on the lifespan available with this tech, as the overseeing them. This Aquarian, of at least Span
charge of molecular bonds slowly degrades after cen- Three rank, bas connections with the Inheritors, and
turies of spanning· it is this Catch-22 more than any- so can obtain complete dossiers on whatever poor
thing else that Limits Aquarians from joining spanner has gotten himself fragged. As mentioned in
lnheriror spacetime. [See Chapter 5: Knowing- Chapter 2, the Quicker have all the information the
Aquarian Era, pg. 207.] Scribes can gather on any situation available, and the
Scribes are always ready ro help.
Tech of this period includes the nanose- Occasionally ghost activity is all that is
quencing technology to create spanners from origi- recorded of a particular site, and the Quicker investi-
nal, pre-existing material. Around 2250, the tech gate its origins. Leveller sightings are the best to start
becomes highly portable; this is the source of with, because even the most cautious fruning among
Physician's Invitation kits, and indeed, most spanners can alert narcissists to the whenabouts of a
Physician technology. lost friend, and they may try a rescue. Any number
of narcissist band have been rounded up by follow-
Late 23rd century tech also has portable ing the leads of a simple ghost story.
magnetic shjelding ro allow livestock to be spanned
safely- this can be used on levellers as well, so great Prepping a felled narcissist
care is taken as to its distribution. First, the Quicker assess if any onlooking
levellers have suffered a violation of the Fourth
24th century nanotech Maxim. If a local corner or Fox.horn lodge has felled
This is the technology that can build or the target, but not handled the Fourth Maxim viola-
dupljcate intelligent spanners (or nearly anything} tion, the Quicker wiJI first urge them to do so. If for
from scratch. Considered too potent for pre- some reason they cannot, the Quicker will handJe it,
Aquarian spanner creation, it is not allowed farther but usually by simply suppressing memories: the
Down than AD 2222, though it is equally portable. Quicker rarely spend effort on Invitations, since it's
This tech is employed upon Exalted to maintain their the other end of spanner life that is their forte.
agelessness. When feasible, the Quicker clear the area
around an incident of Frag, by either adopting the
After AD 2400 guise of high-ranking officials of the locality, or in
Aging loses its meaning by the AD 25th cen- extreme cases, wiping large numbers of minds. Cases
tury, as shared-energy technology and other transhu- this extreme usually call for Inheritor intervention
man wonders make these concerns obsolete. anyway, but Aquarians feel it is their duty to trouble
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
them as little as possible. They are usually right. opt to make collection and detection two separate
Once the area is clear, detection eq uipment Skills, but the difference is mostly superfluous.
comes out and all pools and eddies of the fragged
individual are sought in the spacetime around their 20th century (c. 1960 - 2018)
manifestation. Once the Fourth and Fifth Maxims EM registers, videotape, psychrometers
are satisfied, the £ragged individual is collected and (humidity gauges), Geiger counters, and other 'pa ra-
removed. normal paraphernali a' . Crude by Aquarian stan-
dards, these mostly bulky pieces of hardware will
Memory-Altering Devices record the passing of ghosts, or at least shut off mys-
There is a vast range of these, from the low- teriously, presenting a temporal clue as to when to
frequency transmitter experiments of the 1940's, look.
'50's and '60's, to hand-held neural smoothers of the
late 22nd century, to the mass pulse blanketers 21st century (c. 2018 - 2090)
aboard most Inh eritor incursion ships. Quicker cor- Magflux trackers, and crystal holography
ners have use of any of these, as the Aquarians and are at their peak. Magflux trackers allow for precise
Inheritors see fit. movements of unseen force to be tracked (even into
the magnetosphere), thus allowing the possibility of
All do one of three things: seeing spans, and 'ghostly' movements.
1) Memory Suppression- as in Hypnosis [pg. 115] .
2) Wipe and write memories- as in Telepathy Holography allows for any energy impres-
[pg. 115]. sions left behind by the heavily fragged to be read at
3) Implants that provide Photographic Memory- will. These include sounds such as disembodied voic-
as the Benefit [pg. 13]. es, or visual 'hauntings'- where ghosts repeat them-
selves like a broken record, with no apparent aware-
Availability of these or any devices is based ness or reactions. 6
on merit, of course. Abuse of memory tech usually
results in the abuser waking up one morning missing The earliest reliable containment vessel is a
the device, with no memory of where he left it ... superconducting cylinder; not necessarily hollow,
Investigations meet with dirty looks from unhelpful though some are specially made for containment of
Scribes. plasma and matter. While bulky and excessive on
power use, many corners prefer it as it both draws
When Frag is high enough to collect spanners the £ragged elements into itself and holds it there.
Other Fraternities fear the Quicker, and with
good cause. They may come to collect a spanner 22nd century (c. 2090 - 2222)
with a Frag as low as 6, and sunder friends who try Mid-century reconstructive nanotech can
to intervene. While this is always plainly for the sort among different £ragged molecules to determine
good of the Continuum, it tends to fray nerves in the object of origin. Very useful in cases where sever-
corners under heavy attack. While a spanner at Frag al narcissists have been £ragged out in the same com-
6 or 7 can accompany the Quicker on their own bat.
volition, the confused individual is often tries to fight
or flee , and only winds up more fragged. 23rd century (c. 2222 - 2312)
The Quicker go out collecting only when The same tech that allows spanners to be
asked, either by Societal spanners, or by the made can detect pieces of same, with the best effi-
Inheritors. Rarely, a ghost investigation lands at ciency, and even (with comparative analysis) arrive
some unfortunate corner's doorstep. The Quicker at a frag rating; such devices are hand-held.
never attempt to collect spanners who not reached at Collection devices include a bipolaron, a long, thin
least Frag 5, because of the Fifth Maxim, and nor- cylinder made of superdense magnetized matter,
mally follow an internal policy to wait till they reach nicknamed the 'magic wand'. Creatures of Frag 8 or
Frag 6. Doomed spanners are usually not told of greater are held in place by the wand, and can be
Frag in their Yet, unless they are particularly loath- 'rolled up' by it when spun at high velocity.
some narcissists who deserve a psychological dress-
ing-down [see Harbinger Stratagem of Time Combat, 24th century
pg. 123]. The detection tech from the 23rd century
can be successfully implanted, and farther Up, it can
Detection and Containment devices be exchanged and modified via Telepathy. Note that
Only the most basic are listed here. external devices for collection are widely preferred
Operation of any of them would be considered a by even the most daring Aquarian: Holding a badly
technical Acumen, for example: Acumen- Frag £ragged narcissist in a small part of your brain is
Detection & Collection (21st Century). GMs ma y considered unhealthy.
" Psychic impressions ' can a lso be left in placetimes by Master Telepaths; but further information on how this is done is nor available here.
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
prove themselves every second, and have always had
Curing Frag to provide superior information, insight, and effi-
This is all the Quicker really do, but they ciency over any Aquarians they have worked with,
don't do it with the individual in mind, but the while accepting all petulance and abuse from
Continuum as a whole. Badly fragged spanners are Aquarians with the serenest calm, and even sub-
placed in a Container 7 (usually a cylinder or bipo- servience. But they have the reward: Inheritors come
laron, above) and taken to Cold Storage, even if that to them for information about the Societies and their
frag is all from natural paradox. The Physicians locality(s) first. And they are trusted with any
Fratentity have strict policies regarding the disposi- Inheritor information they request: even Exalteds of
tion of characters with h.igh frag [see pg. 167]. higher Span envy this.
'Nore rhar Vessels !pg. 2041 are rhe opposire of Contdi11ers: Vessels are spanners whose frag is being acrively used by narcissists or orher fools.
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
ana taps the gure, w o starts awake. ana is imme<li- Span book repository
ately met with his elders pocketwatch swinging back A wi e custom adopted by most spanners is
and forth. to deposit one's span books for copying at a Scribal
"Oh that's a cute touch." corner. Naturally, they return your books almost
Chris says, "I figured it was your legendary
in randy, and always remind spanners to keep them
sense of humor. Now, ahem ... watch."
The sound is not as good as it might be. but locked away safe.
Antons muttering to his selves is audible enough. the If a Span book is ever lost or stolen, the
junior Anton nods, and after several minutes of sugges- Scribes are alerted, and th ey set our a watch. Scribal
tion agrees that he is about to see a man try to crush quads nickn amed by late Piscea ns as 'Overdue
his skull with a bowling ball, miss by an inc:h , then Brigades' sta lk Span book srealers and their call the
vanish. Fox.horn in, or bring them down themselves. Scribes
"Oh, God,"groat18Anton. with an athletic bent go in for these Brigades, since
''lep. Here it comes." Time Combat frequently occurs against narcissists
On screen, the elder Anton vanishes as the
junior lays back for a second, and suddenly a figure is who are out trying to find places to frag people, or
there, dressed all in black, including his face covered selJing span books to the highest bidder.
ninja-style, with a purple bowling ball. A second Anton The cleverest narcissists swipe span books
falls out the closet near the door to the hall, and the and replace them at once- but it takes rime to copy
ninja steps back. The sleeping Anton awakens and them somewhere. Any spanner that's been fragged
rolls over to auoid ... nothing. The closet Anton grabs at repeatedl y, and suspects their book has been copied
the black-swathed figures legs, and a muffled. voice or tampered with should alert the Scribes.
says, 'Antoni Hey man, wake up!' After a brief wrestle
on the fl.oor. the 'ninja' drops the ball, and vanishes.
Memorized span books
The closet Anton swears.
The bed Anton rises slowly, looks around, and At some point, usually when increasing in
sees the ball, but not his elder. 'Damn, it wasn't a Span, a spanner with Photographic Memory is asked
dream.' he scratches his head, stands and spans away to recount their spans to a Scribal recorder. Personal
as the c:loset Anton rises, looks at the empty bed, and oral histories can sometimes take days to relate, so
sa.vs, 'Sleep tight, champ,' and vanishes, too. plan it like a working vacation- span to some pleas-
"Great," shrugs the Anton in the AIV room. ant resort or locality that interests you with a Scribal
"Now that I know that, I guess that {rag isn i going Librarium nearby.
bother me, huh. n At Exalted Spans, this is usually handled by
"No genius, your hypnotism is in _vour Yet
the Lnheritor , and can be very direct.
now. n Chris runs back the tape.
"leah, well, maybe its a Thespian, or hey,
mayb an evil wicked narc is posing as me to screw up Memory Cross-References
you and everyone who sees your movie." For further information on Hypnosis, see pg.
"We're more thorough than that. Something 20 and pg. 115. For Telepathy, see pg. 115.
ou obt•iously aren t "Anton makes a mocked-scared Photographic Memory is a Benefit, pg. 13, but also
noise at Chris. "Really, Anton, you 're being a pill. That comes automatically at Mind 8, pg. 10. For
closet junior is hypnotized, too. He thinks your junior Memory-Altering Devices, see the Quicker, pg. 169.
in the bed is still asleep, and hes already gone-" See also Dreaming, ppg. 20, 108.
"Its one tiny blip of frog, and I don~ even
notice it."
"And I'm warning you this is important. The That legendary honesty
man who attacked ou-" Some spanners, especially those from para-
"No." Anton folds his arms. "That does it. I'm noid localities, wonder open ly about the trust placed
just getting pushed around. I don't believe in hypnotiz- in the Scribes' lauded honesty. They've read
ing people." Machiavelli, they've read Frank Herbert. How can
"Anton. its not as though its a mystery who's the Continuum's record-keeping function solely on
putting the suggestions in your brain." the Scribes' word of honor?
"Look, I don) care that it's me getting hypno- Scribes are a swarm onto themselves; the
tized. I erpect that in this nutzy life. I care a lot that
least hint, accusation, or grunt of misgivings from
:vou say I'm doing the hypnotizing. I don) ever want to
learn that. I find it deeply wrong." any spanner, and they are there to defend and prove
Chris throws up his hands. -Okay, you don't themselves with special spanners trained in just this
ward to handle your Yet, thats it. rm going to kind of 'public relations'. Should the smallest whiff
Stirling." of scandal from their own ranks be detected, the
"Well, no wait." accused party is examined and reexamined, at first
"What. She's your mentor. She has to handle-" without their knowledge, and then if necessary, they
'7'm sorry. Okay. I'll do it." Anton bends his are given the temporal third degree. Scribes that sur-
head, his face is mottled blue in the thick air. "171 do
this ...
vive the ordeal of reexamination may ask where the
doubt in their work came from, and a second round
of shakedown occurs around the accuser. It seems
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
extreme to some, somewhat ka ngaroo to others, but never knows every detail of what is being asked of
the Scribes seem to be happy with their system, and one until the part is closely studied. Though
their records stay accurate. Thespi ans do perform their own stunts- and occa-
sionally stunts for meeker spanners.
[More notes on the Scribes are found under
the Engineers, pg. 163, and the Quicker, pg. 168.] Replacing People and Faking Death
The Thespians' function of filling the shoes
of historical figures can quickly become abused by
Thespians (pg. 84) players. The intent is never to see human life as dis-
Desired Skill List posable or replaceable, but to respect the places into
Art (Acting) which one finds oneself. Faking Death is easy if the
Swindle body is never recovered, but that gets harder and
Languages (Various) harder as one approaches the Aquarian cusp, until
Etiquette (Various) the secrets of the flesh- DNA and all- can no
Anthropology longer be disguised by mere Acting Skills.
Drive (Various)
Athletics There are some gujdelines GMs should fol-
Combat (Various) low, even if each Thespian troupe has different stan-
Hypnosis dards of participation: If the name is in the history
Medicine books, but the person gets aced, call in the under-
Acumens study. If it's a leveller NPC, and characters have met
Any and Many: him farther Up, but he's been aced, call in the under-
Whatever's appropriate for the part study.
Acting Skill:
Title Time Needed to Train
Im~rtance of Role Extra/Filler Servant Minor Historical Major Historical Great Fame
Novice 90 days 180 days 1 yea r n/a n/a
Apprentice 30 days 90 da ys 180 days 2 years n/a
Journeym an 7 days 14 days 90 days 1 year n/a
Master 1 day 7 days 30 days 90 days 1 year
Grandmaster unprov 1 day 14 days 30 days 90 days
Chapter IV: Mastering C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Minor Historical- People who get much of the netic cycle with that of the earth's.
work of nation done, but are less well known.
Footnotes to histery, but stilJ in the hi story books. R The illustration of
~
The dusty scholarly ones, anyway. a n electrocardiogram at
Major Historical- Most Piscea n schoolchildren ha ve left (Illus. H) shows the
at least heard of this person. Kings, Presidents, gen- QS depolarizations of the
erals, or their close staff and families, as well as atria (P) and ventricles
notable civic leaders, inventors, or anyone all the I Second (QRS) and repolarization
Illus. H: Normal Human Heartbeat
players ha e heard of. of the ventricles (T).
Great Fame- The Big Names: Confucius,
Alexander~ Lao T zu, Caesar, Columbus, Ghandi, and At atrial depolarization, the spanner's spe-
so on. Superstars. cially engineered nervous system uses the energy to
take a reading of the matter to be spanned- primar-
A final note on the Fraternal Symbols ily the body and its status, but also whatever else the
It will be observed that some of the Symbols spanner's mind is consciously (a object being touched)
are named with a single noun; others with an adjec- or reflexively (one's own clothes) focussed on. All tb.is
tive and a noun . The simpler titles belong to the is bundled as information in less-used areas of the
Fraternities with the greatest range through time brain, areas reengineered at the spanner's lovitation to
(Dreamers, Foxhorn and Quicker). WhiJe all properly organize the information of all the matter
Fraternities have representatives flitting throughout to be spa nned.
spacetime, only these three have extensive organiza-
At ventricular depolarization, all targeted
tions beyond the borders of the Societies. These sym-
bols' meanings for Humanity- the Dream, the Hunt, matter is translated to a tachyon burst of the gath-
and Eternity- are deeper in its spirit than even the ered information, headed in whichever direction the
Midwives' or Ph ys icians' efforts to understand Life. spanner desires. Arrival is the tachyon information
targeting with such precision that the energy assem-
bles in the precise pattern from which it derived.
Span Three There is no consciousness in between.
All mentors are acutely aware of how span- The heart is an impressive vesse l, but not
ning works, and remember their in-betweens in one that can dematerialize and rematerialize itself
detail. So without further ado, we present the secret and up to tons of surrounding matter on its own
of time travel: power. One must wonder where the energy for this
magic comes from.
How Spanning Works
The Sky-road
ln A Heartbeat
It has been stated that the time between "We used to think that the Van Allen Belts slowly waxed
spans is no less than a heartbea t [pg. 34). There is a and waned and were not particularly dynamic. But these
belts have now been shown to be powerful, energetic parti-
fundamental reason for this.
cle accelerators, generating excitement and awe in the sci-
entific community."
The heart is the world in miniature. This is -Daniel Baker,
no romantic a ll egory, though it has been used to dis- Direcro r, La boratory for Atmospheric and Space Physi ,
Univer iry of Colorado at Boulder
guise meaning in our conversations. The human Dece mber 7, AD 1998.
hea rt functions as a powerful electrom agnet; power-
ful, at least as far as the body is concerned. The Earth's magnetosphere contains two,
and so metim es more 10 , belts of trapped radiation,
Unlike nerve celJs, the cells of the hea rt carry ca lled the Van Allen Belts after their discoverer,
an electric charge- a charge near the maximum sus- Ja mes Van Allen (AD 1958). Piscean leveller scien-
ta inable without creating a spark. 8 The mean length tists have noticed the trappjng and acceleration of
of the heartbea t is one cycle/second. It is this stan- vast amounts of solar energy by the magnetosphere.
dard, steady rhythm of a hea lthy hea rt at rest that But they are only barely aware of the particles rock-
has inspired mankind to divide time into seconds. 9 etjng at lightspeed toward the future, or the others
A spanner's biomagnetism has been altered to allow there exceeding lightspeed, slipping into the past.
for the stresses put on them with every span. The That would be us.
cycle also allows the spanner to coordinate his mag-
'The cycles of the sun and sta rs in pired the divi sion of days and ho urs, and
' " Ir amo unt ro some ren millio n volts per merer of po renrial change across the minute wa a logical order ing of seconds to fit h0tirs (60 x 60).
the thin in ularing membrane of ea h ell. " -Arthur'< in free , \ /, e,1 Time '"A third appeared, fo r instance, recentl y, as C0 NT! UUM v. 0. fir t wenr o n
Breaks D 0 1u 11 . AD 1987. a le (May l 998).
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Much of the energy in the Belts are spanners Body; any Failure is a cardiac arrest, a Blunder
becoming and unbecoming tachyon streams. Energy results in their body reassembling with a neutral
is conserved by accelerated solar radiation in the electric charge- very dead, and unrecoverable.
Belt supplying the majority of the power for the H ence levellers (a nd even livestock ) have a danger-
span, materia ljzation, and a ny compensation or ou barrier to direct exposure to the Fourth Maxim.
res i ranee necessa ry to keep thi process from leaving AD 24th century tech exjsts to protect levellers, but
craters in the ea rrh 11 . Kin etic morion is generally not it isn't handed out much for obvious reasons [see
rematerialized, but the electromagnetic energy of the Engineer - Span enhancement devices, pg. 163.]
spanner is instantly restored without noticeable
change. Spanners have been adjusted to withstand
most of these assaults, but in some cases the GM
The spiral force of the earth and its magne- ma y wish a spanner to roll for cardiac arrest- situa-
tosphere has its parallels in the contours of its li fe- tions include being struck by li ghtning, exceeding
forms and weather patterns, but none as profound a one's span, or trying to span in or out of a field of
parallel as the energy trapped and released by the intense magnetism. Rolls are vs. Body, but arrest
magnetic field in a spanner's heart. These parallels only occurs in spanners on a blunder.
resonate with a precision the science only at the The state of the heart's electromagnetics dur-
Aquarian cusp can grasp. ing cardiac arrest is called fibrillation. [nstead of
moving in nice, even rhythms, in fibrillation, the
One now sees the fire one is playing with: to heart's cells quiver in disorganized chaos. If a span is
exceed one's ability to ride this spiralling dragon is attempted during or the instant before the spanner's
to find one's molecules forming and falling random- heart fa lls into cardiac arrest, synchronization with
ly, or ha e one's soft tissues thrust into a particle th e Van Allen Belts fails. The spanner rolls vs.
accelerator filled with lightspeed electrons. And also Quick; on a Grace or Victory, the span fails to begin;
explained is why Span Sevens are approached direct- the spanner stays where he is and experiences the
ly by the Inheritors: To learn to span beyond the cra- heart attack. Any other result, and the spanner
dle of Earth's bounds takes new and greater disci- atomizes, his energy most likely added to the Belts
plines of riding the unmollified solar wind itself. themselves. End of Yet.
For further information, see Chapter Five:
Knowing- Time Travel in the Real World, pg. 208. Spanning while ill
GMs are at liberty to decide how much dan-
Minimum Physical Requirements to Span
ger certain ill or fragged spanners are in when they
A spanner can be shot, fragged, and driven spa n. Among the options that the GM may have to
mad, and still manage to span. At minimum he needs sort through are:
his brain, spinal chord, and his beating heart, all still • Spanners with damage to brain , heart or spine may
attached to one another. If any of these ha s taken sponta neous ly combust, as high-speed electrons
ph ysical damage, the spanner mu st make a Victory arrive to their bodies without proper instructions.
or a Grace roll, or be a nnihil ated instead of remateri- (Good way to hide the evidence of spanning tech.)
alizing. 1~
Note that even Exalted spanners are not • Old and senjle spanners may have to start rolling
invincible gods, but men. Any per on with only his vs. Quick, or never come down from the Belts.
bra in , pinal chord and heart attach ed will be unable
to breathe, or Ii e more than a few econd . They • Spanners at Frag 7 may have to roll vs. Quick to
had better make their span straight into an AD 23rd see i.f they can remember how to span that da y.
century nanomed facility, and hope th ey re expected.
Span-enhancing devices
Living Tissu e and Cardiac Arrest These may also be at the service of Threes,
The norm al human heart cannot handle the usuall y allowing greater cargo to be carried. Mentors
fluctuating electromagnetism, a necessity in spanners. may prefer to have such devices implanted instead of
rf taken unprotected for a span, they must roll vs. lying around, tempting novices. But in any case, its
function must be known to the operator, and it bas
to be ca rried at least once on a span before a span-
" Nore rha t even when spanning levelly, the panner demateria lizes and ner can use it. For further information, see
emp loy the energy of rbe Van Allen Belts. GMs shou ld bear this in mind
shou ld quesrion a rise regard in g the differences of level a nd time travell ing Engineers, pg. 163.
span.
"Certain pa nners beyo nd Frag 7 ma y weU be below rhe e requirements.
but 1hey arc a Lo no lo nge r movi ng via rheir own volitio n. Thei.r Yer drngs Magnetic shielding devices to protect live-
them pie emca l across s pacetime, as noted o n pg. 47, and inrhe rory o n pg. stock whi le spanning also exjsts (see Physicians-
222 , leaving little 1race of o ne·s forme r rare of exi rence in an)' o ne spot.
Thi fare is far wo rse rha n simple ph ysica l annihilatio n.
23rd century nanotech, pg. 168) but can easily be
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
a bused by narciss ists who wi sh to ta ke levellers o n What I Forgot To Remember
joy rides: o nl y Fours a nd Exa lted can get this o n Could be something good, could be something ba d ...
request, and Threes o nl y rarely get to bo rrow it. (d I 00: Ro ll once fo r every 4 points o r fracti on thereof o f Quick
the cha racter has upo n atta ining Span Three, du pli ca te results
Spanners w hose we ight is ca rri ed by other ar e igno red bur no t reroll ed. Add ro th e Benefirs/Disa dva nrages
spa nners spend no Span, but may be a t the mercy co lumn a nd the Yet, as a ppro pri ate.)
o f the spa nning indi vidual as to w here th ey materi-
ali ze. And 'cargo ' o f a ny kind will a lso avo id inte- 01 Favored Exalted
Yo u ca n still be injured , and suffer a ll kinds o f terrors
gra tion w ith existin g structures o n th e ground, and
getting there- but yo u will li ve ro see Spa n Fi ve,
a ppea r (like spa nn ers) as close to an un occupi ed
gua ranteed. ega res ' Dea th at Span Fo ur'.
space as feas ible [see Cha pter Two: Spa nning- 02-03 Grace on D emand
Spanning into a Previ o usly Unkn own Space, pg. You have fri ends, powerful fri ends. You have ten free
34]. Grace rolls to cha nge any res ult you (not the G M) get
ro roll.
Learning Time Travel 04-05 All Too Easy
Th e instin cts o f spa nning co me quite slo w- Aqu ari an Skills (including H yp nosis) are learned in ha lf
ly, and the first spa n (in the in-betwee n ) is often the no rma l Time Ind ex. And yo u will lea rn them.
ac hingly pa inful. Th e in iti ate is th en o ften very 05 -1 0 Save Love of Your Life
relucta nt to spa n aga in, but with th e encourage- Lf yo u alrea dy have o ne o f these, yo u' ll be sav ing them
ment o f hi s mento r a nd co rn e r, ta kes th e new from dea th or wo rse. Otherw ise, hero, remember th e
power as his own . After six o r ei ght spans, the gorgeous perso n th at chat w ill ca ll yo u ' mine'.
11 -15 Hero's Companion
pa in va nishes completely. Usua ll y a regimen of
Yo u ha ve a grea t ca reer a hea d , and a lo ng the way yo u
level sp ans is practi ced for the first fo urteen d ays, have a mi ghty NPC pal who is Litt.le Jo hn ro yo ur
fo ll owed by spans to within a few second s Up o r Robin Hood , Enkidu to yo ur Gilgame h. Ma ke the
Down, usuall y bac k and fo rth between adj o inin g GM design him now.
roo ms to avo id a ge mini. 16-30 Sidekick
Simila r ro the Hero's Companion, but less a mazi ng.
After spa nning during o ne's in-between, M ore like some novice who thinks yo u' re hoc scuff, but
th e spa nn er develops the instincts to reintegrate in onl y has potentia l, not walking demigod stats.
any positi o n o n th e far side o f the spa n. The sa me 31-5 0 Liked
ca nn ot be sa id o f materia l no t being worn by the Fruning aro und , it turns o ut spa nners think yo u' re
spanner, w hich a rri ves pretty much as it depa rted. okay. First impressions wherever yo u go amo ng
spa nn ers starts favora bl y. Nega tes Di sliked. Effec t lasts
until a nd if yo u reach Exa lted.
Further deta ils o f a ty pica l In-Between a re
5 1-60 Disliked
revea led in th e story Th ese are th e Good Old
I dunn o, there's something wrong or weird abo ut yo u.
Days, below. What's yo ur pro blem ? Spanners' initi a l impress io n o f
yo u is nega ti ve. Effect las ts until and if yo u reach
The Yet of the In-Between Exa lted.
Spa nners begin to ga th er a Yet, even dur- 61-85 Petty Betrayal
ing their In-Betwee n: Some events the spa nner dis- Some cheap adva ntage is there, and yo u ta ke it. N o
covers w hil e very yo ung, and it can be VERY frag o r Maxims bro ken, but a lo t o f ba d feeJjngs fro m
aw ful- o r too spectacular to ca lm d own from. o ld pa ls.
85-90 Great Betrayal
But, it's th en suppressed. Th e ta ble below is for
Yo u mess up the li ves o f most people wh o care a bout
GM 's to determin e certain events hidd en in th e
yo u fo r some strea k o f self-aggra ndizement- o r some
cha racter's Yet, to be revealed upon attaining Span one yo u trust does it to yo u (GM 's ca ll ).
Three u. GM 's disc reti on dec ides if a n eve nt ro lled 91-95 Ki.U Loved Ones
is cl ose eno ugh to a n event played , and ca n be con- Eve ryo ne yo u ca re a bout ... i dead. And everyo ne
sidered chec ked o ff fro m th e Yet. GMs may ag rees, it's yo ur fa ult.
o ptionall y select a ppropria te Yet events instead o f 96-97 Death at Span Four
rolling, or indeed invent th em without using the Well , it co uld be a glo rio us Dea th. Overrides any
ta ble if they so choose. limitati ons for Surviving Death, even if yo u were
previo usly limited to Spa n Three. But it's not rea ll y
good news, is it.
Th e very existence of th e Yet of the In-
98 -99 Rape
Between sho uld be kept from players for as long as Yo u suffer a bruta l humili ating assa ult fro m yo ur worst
possible, since its ex istence is usually kept from enemy, with little cha nce o f ever getting him back. Yo u
characters below Span Two. This is considered a might die, too.
facet of th e First M ax im, so spanners almost never 0 0 Treason
discuss the subject, even w hen no Span Ones a nd Yo u are destined to betra y the Continuum ro
Twos see m to be a round . Antedesertium, yo u don't know precisely when.
We do. H ave a nice day.
13
Make no adjustments for Lucky Benefits or Unlucky Limits- Maybe the reason for the character's luck is revealed by the Yet of the In-Between!
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
14. These Are t e Gooa Ola Days "Watch," says Charlie softly, discreetly not
touching her.
Stirling Cynthia is a Span Three candidate, A cool grey plate, shaped like a planchette, is
she wants to work in the same time as her juniors. It brought down on a thin guiding rod. It slips in under
looks like she'll be taking lLP a corner near Saratoga the lungs of her junior, and Stirling reaches for her
Sp,-ings, from the 1950s through the early '90s. tightening throat. It was becoming familiar. She
First she has to learn how she came to span-. remembers remembering this, as she watches her
The theatre is part of a small mediC'al college, junior below, her eyes fl,uttering open and closed, a fear
but only the lights are being used. And the straps to and the cold.
hold her junior in place. Above it, behind one-way A dull hum, barely perceptible through the
glass. sit Charlie and Stirling, alone in the small glass, hardly noticeable in the theatre, lives loud in
observation room. Cynthia's memory,
·~ operation." The white of her memory rip- The planchette brushes 1inder her heart, and
ples once, twice, like the Mirror of Galadriel. ''We were cradles it.
always told spanning was a learned trait." Cynthia breathes. ''It recognizes- 1 recog-
"Sentient force is the key, Cyn," says Charlie. nize-"
"This is just your engine being installed." And like a dimmer switch, the white white
"So we'd have no way of actually training light, the white light around her memories steps awa.v,
other spanners, without this tech." inch by precious inch.
"But with knowledge of its e:ristence, it's that
much easier to acquire and abuse. You can see the nat-
ural precaution. The training and the tests have The straps are off, she knows that. Again, she struggles
always been of C'haracter.,. through the haze and muddy pain.
"I know. I guess I was just hoping for a more... "No no no, Cynthia. You want something, someone will
I don't know. Spiritual source? A moment of awe and bring it. Lie there. No no, easy does it."
wonder?" She looks at her junior, who is having things "Bear." Her mouth throat and lungs feel lined with cot-
explained to her by Barry, a member of the Physicians ton.
Fraternity she knows rather well. Barry is putting on The nurse looks confused. Somewhere in the blurry dis-
heavy black rubber gloves with thin, wire attachments tance she hears and sees Charlie: "The teddy bear.
on the outside. Her junior is already scared. Here." And Skootchie the bear, childhood rompanion, is
Charlie adds, "This is just the science. How laid in her arms.
people use it is always the most important thing."
"Yeah. Information is all, and it can bite. Still "-~sf My heart, it's like it's alive. All alive." She looks
can't remember what Barry is telling me down there." around the room- it's a place all to herself, but her
"Patience," says Charlie, but he sounds ner- cornermates- her future- no, no, her chronies in her
vous. Yet!- she can go out, a little, and see them. She's not
Stirling sees Barry pull a smooth metal device hiding in this little house, she's exploring, growing
from a felt bag. It's about eight by ten inches, and stronger and freer by the seC'ond. ''.And I can go here-
maybe three or four inches high. There are no obvious and here-" She pops around like a firecracker, and
markings, onl:v a smooth contour, like tumbled gold. Charlie laughs, he's been explaining everything, happi-
Barry places it quietly on a table to the junior's left. ly, several times.
Charlie has mentioned the Invitation Kit a ''.And I only get a little sick, when I try, y 'know the real
few minutes before. and even the n.ame has Stirling on time travel. Tell me about tu, again. The movies."
edge. It opens like modern sculpture, with many fine "No ... " says Charlie, scratching his beard. "Your turn to
rods supporting boxes larger than the item itself, and tell me."
delicate devices, nine feet up in the air. Her junior "Okay." The college student in her rallies. "Spanning is
stares open-mouthed on the table below it. Look at that a reality, but one the ordinary- the level people aren t
thing. No wonder I'm scared. read_y for, but we're getting them ready! All C'entury
Barry touches her junior's temple. She begins we've been getting them ready with the movies and the
to pass out. Stirling feels a slight cold touch at her own tu, the repeating. Events, always the same, you can
temple, and starts fidgeting. Not the time for sympa- always visit them. They can imagine an event being
thetic-magic crap. exact, they have the, the group, group consC'iousness!
She grimaces as the energy tools go to work They have what's necessary to become Inheritors."
on her junior. Focussed beams are invisible, so her "And spanning is-?" Charlie smirks.
junior's fl,esh merely opens up. "Aah. It's tough to look "The natural state, only two hundred years in the
at. Frog dissections in high school were not my forte. future- Up. Meant Up." She slaps her thighs for
This is worse." emphasis. ''We're gettin' ready."
The front of her junior's torso levitates awaY.
breasts, ribs and all, leaving organs living and ·'
exposed. No sign of suction or clamps, but Stirling This time, I will get it right, and no dizziness.
guesses at the fields holding her unconscious junior's The certainty fell upon her like a glass scarf. This
blood in check. The big piece of her bobs gently in the would be the good span.
half-light above the theatre like a nightmare from the She is by Lake Michigan, and cars and planes are far
French C'Omix scene. "Well. That's more than I expect- away, at the edge of things. It was time to step around
ed." that. Not heed them. Rooms of dust where I once lived.
Chapter IV: M astering c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Tlie s calls t e c o r mina, pu s er art, t e ynt ia turns arou , irst craw ing, t en getting up to
spinning whorls of yarn, burning unlooked-for, she a stumble into the trees. The children burst into a
finds them, she knows them- scream, a manic, carefree scream, and barreled down
Ano she is in the field of startled cru;:kets, a mile from on the shelter, pushing it, shoving it to a final crash
the lakeshore and two days farther Down, and tall and tilt.
grass is by her as she is light and perfect, on ballet Cynthia is crying behind the leaves, and watches. Her
point. And she says to the wheels and e_ves of sky, young junior was laughing, until she saw the little nest
"You 're mine. All of you." in the dark shelter, the smashed yolks, their mother
limping in the wet grass, and the brutal truth of death
shadowed her that day, forever.
Another testing day. Charlie is there, rattling events she The thrill of healed {rag, of renewed existence, only
has erperienced over the past seven days, or events she makes the elder trebly sick with her own blind greed.
has heard of.
"Where is Julie eating cappuccino pie?"
"Sunday, April 4, 2004. Morning, eh, 11:07 AM. Adele's The white light is as thin as a plane, now. Before is
on Market SL., Milwaukee. I remember because she's fat perfect memory, and after is the memory of imperfec-
there." tion.
"Where is Ray wearing those silly plaid socks?"
'They're argyles, and it's Wednesday, December 25, Her eyes are shut, she is leaning back, hears
1996. 10:58 AM, at his place on Third St." the buzz of the neon above her head.
"Vice-President Quayle's private discussion of Wisconsin 'This is recompense, isn't it Charlie. ., She
welfare reform?· looks over to him, her mentor.
"He's at home in DC, upstairs bedroom, on the phone, Charlie looks con{used, cocks his head.
January 8, 1990, 10:57 PM. 7blking to ... I dont remem- "For having no children. We get this childbirth
ber the other man's name, but he's in Green Bay, James instead."
K... Something... " "We can have children, Cyn. Jw,t not spanner
"Okay. Here is?" children-"
"Friday, April 18, 1997, 10:32 PM. And thirty-five sec- Cynthia, Stirling, turns her eyes away. "You
onds... mark." really can l understand, can you. I want Euana.."
"Forty, actually. Not bad for a tweener." "She can l make it, Cyn, sorry," Charlie sounds
Cynthia sticks out her tongue. out of his league at last.
"Dammit. Why won't she show. Why do I have
to become what I become without half a dram of some-
And the bird. That was red pain, red red. The worst one who knows me."
test, cut me open again deeper. Charlie begins an answer, and Stirling says,
"Don't bother, Charlie. Get out. Leave me be awhile."
..P,.iday May 1, 1981. She watches her junior, her nine- He sits there, she sees his reflection. He's an
ear-old self playing around with other kids at her bus old man now, all at once. Like his youth has gone away
stop. The old wooden rain shelter is a great barrier to to make room for her memory. Without another word,
the racing and the screaming, round and round it. he walks out, and closes the door behind him.
'No! There's a bird's nest. Be careful.' She has a mild headache from all the awaken-
She runs out from the nearby trees, arms flailing. But ing neurons. She shuts her eyes, sees the silly ironies
she is still far away. Charlie, nearby yet. hisses, "Don t, and errors of youth better than any leveller, and moves
C.vnthia-" on to reintegrating this old hole in her life. he drops
"No! No, let me stop this." And she is out there, and into sleep, and into lucid dream. The memories of in-
there was her young gemini, looking back at her, won- between now stand in their rows, complete; she walks
dering, wondering what? She remembers this different- among them just as she did before. That which was
ly, and the sick cut is coming across her abdomen and empty, made full. Knowledge replaces doubt. The
head. '7 just want to save the little eggs-" becoming leaves the envelope of mysteries.
'But she sits down in the road, the frag is direct and And around a subtle corner, her Yet took its
strong. There are no cars here, it's too far away from p lace.
the main drag for cars, the perfect bus stop for chil- Forgotten p ieces of her Required Future leap
dren. They ve stopped playing and screaming, staring at her like floor tiles in a tornado, but land like the
at the crazy teenager in the road. The chirping of the backwards movie. Some are already done. Others are
other bird is loud in her ear, under the cold silence of still flying knives to catch in the tempest. Her dream-
sky. state comes alive, and messages long curled in her
"Hey kids!" Charlk's most cheerful voice. And they all unconsciow,, unfold like a fan of cards.
turn, and he mesmerizes them on the spot. And 1981
began to curdle for Cynthia Carmichael even as her George, her hero outside the old SpeedAMAt,
·rst {rag approaches its healing. All her playground she knows that she meets him again only when she is
s stood like the toys they owned. much older, in a Foxhorn Lodge Down from here, and
"Cyn." It is Ray. He is back in the woody copse where the Foxhorn has been met, but no sign of George. This
she has ran out from. "C'mon back. It's no good, C.-vn, I is soon. Soon, and very romantic.
think you can see that."
Charlie whispers instructions to the boys and girls, and She will see Charlie's death, and this has been
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
met, too, because he invited her, but there is further "You're Exaltea, I take it."
i-1ifor:1nation: Ray is inuolued in the shootout near the "Yes. We are here to exparul you w~th instruc-
mail truck, she do not know if he is trying to stop tion. You may approach us at intervals. but you are not
the assailants on Charlie or ensure the event. This is a novice, and are expected to be able lo cope your own
strange. wa •. Only for information you are widely blank on
should we be sought, or regarding said dangers."
And Anton, Anton, Anton. She'll haue to teach "Ifollow _'YOU, , says Stirling, wondering
him, feed him, all but kill him with interest and affec- already how deep she was getting into things.
tion. This nightmare looms so large from where she "Do not discuss the Yet you now remember
sat, a circle of hell on end and barreling down on her. A with anyone but spanners you know to be Threes or
poison in her own cabinet, a disappointment going in. above. Do not discuss the existence of the Yet of the In-
Between with One and Tu.1os; should your novices ask,
Long nights and longer days spent mar- signal it is not a matter to discuss. This is all divulgent
shalling spanners to pursue odd bits of territory for the from the First Maxim.·•
Society of the United States. And beyond, but always It's Like she's reading from some manual. How
near it, the berrybrown gypsy elder. Handstands on a To Paper TI-ain Your Three. "Understood ... " she says
cantering, saddle-less pony: Not a symbol, a memory. cautiously.
1b put the young tweener at her ease, and sing wonder "Your movements are now more important
to her heart. than ever. You are to train spanners, and you are to
Her dreamstate sounds out her Yet like sonar answer requests of Fours of you r Society and Exalted
in outer space. of any background. Foremost, as a Three, we strongly
request that you do not span up from AD 2200. The
A quiet darkness settles around all these Societies concludes at 2400, and you are forbidden
things. beyond that year."
"So I've heard. Why?" Stirling is starting to
feel that its fine to dislike Zayoshi.
"It is a Decision of the Seventh Atlantean
She wakes up in the chair, checks the clock. Council. Further information is not available here."
Four hours asleep, precisely. She leans forward, the Zayoshi rattles off the phrase like it was an Aquarian
theater below is dim. Her junior is elsewhere now, in trademark slogan.
the throes of recovery, kept as quiet and still as possi- Stirling and Zayoshi are getting into a staring
ble lest she span reflexively and hurt herself. contest. Stirling begins to realize that she hasn't seen
In the glass she sees two more faces span in Zayoshi blink her big blue eyes once. I doubt I'll win
beside her. this one easily.
She glances over. It's a small pale Asian "We are calling primarily as a matter of cour-
woman with deep blue eyes and a tall man with wavy tesy," speaks Nachedekk for the first time, in a perfect
oily hair and beard. She's dres ed in trim jeans and t- if trilled English. "Since you are, as you SO)~ coming
shirt, his clothes are darker and less well-fitting, and within spitting distance." Stirling smiles at the refer-
there are heavy scents of herbs abo1tl him. An ence to her old remark. But he seems quite earnest,
Aquarian and an Ariesian, she recognizes at once. without a hint of humor- at least not humor she
Interesting. understands. "Especially now that you are a Three," he
"I don't know you. I'm Stirling." emphasizes.
The small woman nods. Her voice is deep and "Now a Three. Isn 't there some adjustment to
flat. 'Tm Zayoshi of Corvallis, 2102. This is Nachedekk be made?''
of Babylon, 622 BC, Third Year of Nabopolassar." Zayoshi breathes impatience. "That was what
Nachedekk brings his hands level with his shoulders, your witnessing allows for. The inhibitions are proper-
and bows with a sharp motion. ''We're your contacts." ly recoordinated. You probably need to practice span -
"Contacts. This is already sounding like seri- ning to more than a decade. Take it slow."
ous politics." "Fine." Stirling finds that old fears of the
"You wanted to be a Three. Mentoring is more Inheritors are returning in the guise of a thin-skinned
than training, and it's not all mentoring. It is up to you loathing of Aquarians. Do many of them feel this conde-
to pass information on dangers along, and be the first scending toward the rest of us?
to handle disruptives in or entering your corner." "Also," explains Nachedekk, ''These are your
'1 know that. 'Disruptives', that's a charming span books from your In-Between. You may break the
term." seal on them at any time, now." From his robes he pro-
Zayoshi is quiet a moment, then: "It's a duces two battered span books, sealed in old wax.
Societal thing.·• The memory of them, recalling the excited
It takes another moment for Stirling to realize notes scribbled inside, forces a sudden, girlish grin out
Zayoshi was trying to be contemporary and Light. ·~- of her. Nachedekk seems won over, and a deep smile
Ha-ha. But you mean narcissists." pleasantly creases his face. On the cover of the first
"Yes. But novice spanners are a handful, one is scrawled a Tolkien rune for the letter 'S': the
Stirling Cynthia. Mischievous as newborns." same sound that begins both Cynthia and Stirling.
Stirling doesn't ask after the implications of Gandalf returns the gifts of Galadriel, she thinks.
that last sentence. ''leah. I've been both.·· Zayoshi rais- "Thank you, ·• says Stirling. "I've wondered
es a hairless eyebrow, and Stirling senses approval. about these. Do you mind my asking, why you took it
Chapter IV: Mastering C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
upon _vourse Wasn't that harlie's an invitee, and get them ready to emerge from the
call?" in-between. Nurses, counselors, babysitters, and any
"Ah but he does not go on from where you other task needing to be fil:ed as an initiate learns
found him. He cannot always be with .vou, not that the instincts of spanning, can be found in the 'neigh-
way. His corner must pass on sometime, and all it is
and was." borhood' .
"I know, of course. It's just ... " It was al most Mentors need these other contacts to train
too real now, full circle. She finds herself regretting her Ones. Obviously the other Ones of a corner aren't
hard tone with him, finds herself saying aloud, softly, much a part of the in-between training, or they'd
"What about Charlie?" remember more. There's one spot the novitiate is
Zayoshi states flatly, "Charlie's just your equal brought to, for training, away from the corner, but
now. You already know he never achieves Four." the serious equipment isn't kept there. That would
"Yes," says Stirling, irritated. be in Physician corners, primarily. Curious Span
"You have your Yet to fulfill, and he has his.
Ones that poke around the training grounds when
You have your corner ahead, Charlie's is behind you."
·~re all Aquarians so rude and clueless." no one is there wiU find nothing more suspicious
"We appear so, in direct proportion to the than a deserted operating theatre and some innocu-
backwardness of the spanner observing us from farther ously anachronistic items here and there, mostly
Down." antiques.
'That is incorrect, as I have known many Patience is also required of the new novices:
pleasant Aquarians, and to1Lred into your Era exten- They won't remember their in-between, and so will
sively." Eat that. ask the same questions all over again- aU with
'Those are field anthropologists. They like remarkable similarity. The mentor must never let on
going n.atiue. And you saw what was appropriate of the
what has transpired during the in-between, or the
Era, for 1luos. Aquarius is not for toddlers."
Of all the cheek. Stirling wonders why she's memory-suppressing dictums of the Fourth Maxim
saddled with this one, then realizes that Zayoshi must must be applied to the novice who's learned too
be considered one of the better Aquarians ... much too soon- and the mentor may be in for some
The Ariesian breaks up the argument as discipline himself.
pleasantly as a human can. "I am certain our exfJ€ori-
ences will be illuminating, and please the heavens. Passing the Reins
Until the meeting after, Stirling, honors and favors At some point one must begin a corner, and
light your path." He bows more deeply that she has at another point, one must end it. Most Threes take
imagined his great height allowed. Stirling recovers
up a corner from a previous mentor as their first act,
some of her smile, and courtesies, despite that she's in
jeans. rather than jumping merrily into the mix of novices
Nachedekk L1anishes. Zayoshi turns her head they may not know yet at all. They usuaJJy have
left- a gesture of farewell, then looks back with a dossiers ready or shortly arriving, explaining the
scowl. "Sarongs? Electrode ?" She sniffs once and novices they are to care for.
spans away. And at the end of a corner's existence, its
border farthest Up, the Three usually waits to visit
It takes Stirling the better part of an hour to till near the very end of his run as a mentor. In this
figure out what Zayoshi means. She recalls her passing way he can pass the cornerhouse to the next mentor
leveller thought of what 2094 would hold in store, on
with complete knowledge, or be certain everything is
the night of her invitation. "Hate telepathic Aquarian
bitches." she mutters aloud. taken care of before he shuts the house down, and
She spans around looking for Charlie. but he's gi es it over to the native le ellers.
strangely hard to find.
Roleplaying Dossiers
GMs may be daunted by the task of handing
Training and the Responsibility of the Knowledge vast amounts of info over to players with Span Three
The most important thing is to never divulge characters, but it need be no more than what is
handed out to players beginning a typical adventure,
the secret of spanning to Ones and Twos. Not only
(i.e. little to no information- make 'em £rune!)
would the technological source act as a brake to Otherwise, it should be treated like a gemini in terms
many young spanners' sense of wonder, but the of respecting the elder that sent the info along.
information would be left imperilled by entrusting it Players that demand more information from
to spanner that had not been tested again and again. dossiers, claiming perhaps that their character would
The In-Between exists for an intrinsic reason. be more thorough, might be allowed to get away with
Lnformation is All. getting a few extra details- but always make them
put dossier-writing in their Yet, and if they're consis-
Mentoring the In-Between tently info-hogs, make the players write the dossiers
Mentors look like they go it alone to their out themselves after the adventure, on penalty of £rag.
You'll be amazed how quickly the characters learn to
novices, but in fact dozens of neighboring Threes are
be terse, concise, and even cryptic ...
usually on hand with their myriad skills to help train
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Political knowledge Finally, any major event like a new spanner
Span- Threes Have a decent working knowl- arriving or joining the corner is usually covered in a
edge of the Span Fours who are building and and dossier to oneseli: Lack of information on such an
trading local territory for their Societies. A corner's encounter is rarely a good sign .
Society may shift as a playing piece in the Greatest For further information see Narcissists-
Game, but of course is set by the Atlanrean Councils. Crashers, pg. 192.
Threes are weU awa re of the outcome for their cor-
ner, having to instruct their corners in what a Society
represents. Additional Glossary
Some Threes focus on their novices rather These terms are not usually taught novices,
than gearing up for successful moves in the Game, as they are not yet ready to understand some of the
but others make use of their time in probing distant troubling implications of the terms.
borders, or even playing the Game as an underling to
a Four. Thus, once they enter the Game, they are Echo n .
I" repetition of a o und by reAecrio n (from a surfa e)" < Middle English
well-versed in what territories to claim early, to ecco < Id French echo< Latin< Greek ekho " no ise"< PI E waghoi "to
make tbe best trades in. reso und .. !
Others maintain their connections wi th their Term used by narcissists w hen referring to an elder they
Fraterna l friends to such a degree their corner chose to disobe y or ignore.
begins to take on the tenor of a Fraternal corner. The
possibility of graduating it up to a major Fraternal Crasher n.
1··one who crashes··< era h ln fo rmal "to join w,rhou r in ira rion" < "ro col-
center by the time one earns Four is a well known li de noisi ly" < Middle English era hen blend of (era en "ro sharrer, render
and respected plan, though it always takes some insa ne .. < O ld orse krasa ·' co sha rrer" < lmitatwe) + (dashen ·•ro dash'"<
doing to separate one's life as a Three, and one's akin to Danish da ske •· co bea r .. < No rth Germ 111ic)I
One of many euphemisms for a spanner created without
elder Four always present, pushing you and your
training and guidance, i.e. by narcissists. Considered a
novices around.
threat to the Continuum by their very existence, crashers
Still others use their time as a Three to are destroyed without quarter, lest the be encouraged ro
impress the Exalteds they are associated with, in the choke all spacerime with their kind.
hopes of placing as an attache to a Span Five. If not
one of their own Span Fives, perhaps a friend of Wakew1ts 1he Younger, (b. AD 1213)
Skeichbook of Scenes from /393
theirs? Circumspectly learning the fates of one's i1tk & wash
Scribal Librarium at Ligny
novices, and being ab le to refrain from even hinting
to them what is in their Yets is often seen as a hall-
mark of responsibility, especiaUy if the novices'
elders perform actions of great import.
below
Wakewiis th< Younge~ (b. AD 1213 )
k,tchbook of cenes from 1393
ink & wa h
Scribal Librarium at Ligny
Chapter IV: Mastering c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Jeanne D'Arc
Joan of Arc, La Pucelle ("the Maid"), Maid of Orleans
spanner aliases Patrice of Montalais, "Duchesse" of Atlantis
Hero of France
Span Four
Ah , yes, but you do not undersrand, being from the cusp Aquarian.
Highest Stats B 8 M 8 Q 10 Skills Military Science Gl2, Most Lang.
Jl0, Pilot Aircraft Jl2, Dreaming M13 \Y/eapons Most Melee You have raison, yes. Mais, n'est pas raison d'etre. Being, my friends. Even
Ml 1, Most Aquarian Weaponry Jl0 (Others as above) now you have not figured ir our. We spinners, we weave and wheel. We are the angels of
God, we are chosen IQ be that other order, rhe fellow-servants, bringing succo ur where we
Jeanne's contribution is unique. Nicknamed " la Duchesse", she makes ca n. All your science teaches is how to build IQOls of life and death, not why IQ use them .
up 98 % of what would be considered the police force and We are closer to God, you know, closer than even the lnherilQrs, and they know this. They
welcome wagon of Atlantis (12969 - 12644 BC). She seems to have command the skies and all the starry heavens, but we are more of God, they are more of
no trouble reconciling the horde of elders and juniors about the instal- Man. They envy us. Respect this in yourselves, eh?
lation, and is almost always cheerful about her work. But Popes? Well, yes, ii is very amusing from here. I can see all the Popes now.
There are certainly more than one, but to me, today, their number seems so small .
Exalted
It is known she headed off into the War against Antedesertium after
her time in Atlanti , but is insistent that she will return for her dea th
in Rouen. Further information is not available here.
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
BIRTH Gaul, 1st century BC. Furrher informarion i nor avai lable here.
lNVlTATION Believed char he was Invited & trained by a yo ung
spanner, Siobhan Geoffrea, c. AD 30. Furrher informarion is oot available here.
DEATH Onl y recorded death is at Eckenforde, February 17, 1784.
Many levellers see him again beginning the following year.
NOTABLE PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES Appears as a strikingly hand-
some man of about forty yea rs, with piercing eyes, and dark hair
(under a ny powdered wigs). He only ever wears the finest period garb,
visibly quite wealthy no matter what level he is on.
HIGHEST SPAN ACHIEVED At least 5
OVERALL GOALS Personal glory in the breakdown of the
Continuum a nd the eventual return in triumph to Antedesercium.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Span Zero
Highest Stats B 3 M 4 Q 5 Skills La rin J6 Gallic M7 Herbalism J6 Weapo11s Daggers NJ
Span One
Highest Stats B 4 M 4 Q 6 Skills Larin M7 French A5 Alchemy J6 Weapons Daggers
A5 Leveller rumors include the belief that he was born in Jerusa lem,
just as Christ was being put to the cross. May be euphemistic for his
In vita tion. It is believed that Sr Germa in began as a loya l Continuum Level Events (Known Movements)
spa nner, nor a cras her, thus ma king him far more da ngerous. BC
5557-42 Arms Vidavayan refugees with crystal energy weapons and complete Hunt of
the Sun, but is overwhelmed by Continuum counreranacks. Span Four.
Span Two
I st Ce.oL? Birth in Ga ul.
Highest Stats B 5 M 5 Q 7 Skills Latin GI O Fren h J Ita li an A6 Alchemy MS Etiquerre
(Courr) J7 Weapons Sword manship A6 Receives some so rt of training from a AD
Thespia n. Never loses this knack; The pians know they must watch 17 10 Countess von Georgy meets him for the first rime; her diaries describe him as
out for their renegade prodigy. Rumo red to impersona te Roger Bacon, look ing berween 45-50 )'Cars old
1737-42 In Tehran, a t the Court of the Persian Shah. Believed ro conduct much of his
Christoforo Columbo, a nd even Shakespeare. Only persistent rumor generalship in the Geminjd from here. Span rive.
of him at this Age is that he gets orders from a withered crone he only 1743 At the Court of Louis XV, famous for his wealth and alchemical prowess.
refers to as ' Mother'. This raises far mo re questions than answers . 1744-5 Arrested in Londo n for sp ying, bur released . " He sin gs a nd plays on the violin
wonderfulJy, composes, is mad, and not very sensible." -Wa lpole
1745-6 Lives in princely luxury Vienna. Trades so much in jewels it creates minor
Span Three
inflationary panics among loca l fiduciaries.
Highest Stats B 7 M 6 Q 8 Skills German A7 Engli h JS G reek JS Many Other Languages
1755 Visits India a second time; claims he learns the secret of " melting jewels"
A7 Alchemy G 10 Hi ro ry J6 Weapons Longsword J9 Disguise A9 Swind le M 11 Courtly
1760 Seen again by Counres von Georgy, who is certa in he has not aged a d ay.
Lntrigue Ml I Studies Fra nce's wealthy classes a nd her Revo lutions, 1774 Warns Louis XVI of a ~gigantic conspiracy" destine.cl to alter the world order.
attempting ro lea rn the nature of mank ind's desi res for change & 1777 Witness in Dresden cla ims bis appea rance to be 60-70 years old.
changelessnes . Writes Les Tres Sainte Trinosophie, a man uscript he 1784 Feb. 7. Dies a r Eckenforde; buried March 2. " H e was always a careless fe llow,
and a t last, like his predeces or , forgot not to d ie.~ -Mirabea u
takes great pain to ensu re remains in leveller hand s, as it revea ls 1785 Anend occulci t conference with bis pupils Caligosrro, Mesmer, & Sr Manin .
truths abo ut panning encoded in alchemica l ymbol. Organizes na r- "I saw globes revolve aro und me and earths gravitate at my feet."
cissists cell , many of which a re designed solely to confuse Spa n Fours 1788 Activel y warns French nobility of the coming Revolution, bur organi2.es the
worsr elements of the rebellion in secret. a nd creares crashers. Span Five.
engaged in the Greatest Game in & aro und the Society of France.
1789 Anempts to aid Gusravu Ill of weden, rdls l\1me d'Adhemar be will ee her
again five rimes more.
Span Four 1820 Visits Mme d ' Adhemar for the lasr rime, before rhe Due de Berri is murdered.
Highest tats B M Q 9 Skills Arabic J6 pani h M 10 Many Orher Languages J 9
Alchem y G 12 Hi rory G 12 Disguise MI I Weap o11s Longsword M 11 Rapier M 11 2 1 r
Excerpt from his Peda ntry Among the Le ser Minds, &c. (Berlin, 1765), ma1111script kept
enrury Is involved in the Gemini wars, but is foiled by
ry r:il wea pon J9
at 011 ,mdi5closed Scribal Librarium; tra11slated by Adrea11s for the c°NTINUUM RPG:
Jeanne's forces. "There a re several pockets into which my avenging
may fa ll. Some upo n thi s witch, but mo t upon these dusty elves that A dog might be fo rgiven its delights. The sun upon his familia r ro unds, a bee
to snap a t, washing one·s fur full a nd a ll. And yet its joy is not the measure by which we
feed and clothe her."
et its worth a nd value, bur by how it guards rhe hea rth, fetches up the quarry, by its bark
rhar warn the marches of the night. -Halt! H a lt! Your evil is smelt by me, a nd I s ha ll tea r
Span Five from yo u yo ur blood if yo u step nea r."
Highest K11ow11 Stats B IO M 8 Q I O Sanskrit JI O Alchemy G 14 Quantum Physics M 11 This, m y fell ows in Wisdom, is just what a pea a nt is fo r. To live irs ljfe, ro
H istory G 14 Disgui se G 14 Vio lin M 13 Weapons Ra pier G 14 Other Melee Weapons snap a t bees a nd bark when its duty a rises. The best of us w ill pet a nd encourage these
M 13 Other Projecrile Weapons J 10 In volved again in all the parts of his life low minds, a nd watch as their breast swells with pride, w ith du ry ea rned and their func -
tio n fulfilled. This is not a wickednes , o r indulgence upon my good gentlemens' hea rts. It
he has already visited, but with fresh recruiting being his goa l; often at is no r Aa rrering oneself, but understa nding well cha r th is peasant, a nd that merchant, yea,
cl ever cross-purposes with his juniors. He is intelligent, charismatic- even prince and princess a re ob jects a nd furni shings. Why, the very dog is less predictab le,
and infamou s enough- to organize narcissists to greater effect than a nd more happy.
For this i one of the secrets ro being opened ro the ways. It is a ll a chess-
when at a yo unger Age. Plots he sets in motion ma y or may not even
boa rd, in wh ich we may always move in passing, and they rake back no t a step. Once this
involve him; in thi s way he confuses Continuum spanners trying to is clea rl y accepted and see n, rhen a ll the cares of gold, or age, or every trouble grea t o r
untangle hi s strategy. perry is plainl y swept aside· leave rhese troubles, kinsmen, to your loya l hounds.
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
The Game and the War the awe of them: Ir lowers their real value, like the
The role of a Societal wonk is emphasized tabloids do.
for Span Fours above, and in the player ' section. But introducing the occasional UFO, or odd
This is very important research, full of dynamic set of lights in the distance, e pecially when players
action, and determines how preeminent a Society i are in someone else corner, can be an entertaining
perceived during the many Adantean Councils. touch.
One good way to tame cocky players is this:
But it is Fours contributions and sacrifices to If the players ever see one far away in the night sky,
the War effort against Antedesertium that man y and start saying over-confident things like, "Looks
more readily aspire to. WhjJe noble, a military career like someone's gonna get it," have it swing close sud-
for a Four i often brutally short, and can oftentimes denly. After a few moments of cold sweat, send it
leave the Four so emotionally scarred that they are back to what it was doing.
never mentally fit to attain Exalted Span. The The Inheritors are always on top.
"Greatest Game" is often the preferred route,
because it flushes our enough dangers to the loheritor stats
Continuum to be a significant and brave contribu- Inheritors come in as many, if not more,
tion to the Societies. But compared to serving in the varieties as the GM can imagine. Here presented is
War, it is just a Game. an example of a common "gray" . ln game terms, he
is a late Aquarian from Upsilon Andromedae 3, or
possibly even Earth, circa AD 3600; but note that
Span Five co-generational colonies of this type are common
throughout nearby systems in the Aquarian, Piscean
War {pg. 103) and Ariesian, as well as, of course, the Capricornian
Further information is available in Chapter 5: Era .
Knowing, where the boundaries of Antedesertium
and the main theatres of the War are laid out within BODY2
the context of the Eras. MlND 25
QUICK 30
• A conflict between personal and the corner's AU the above could be assign that narcissists
responsibilities. are afoot ... Or, cultural or special circumstances may
A person may have frag from various apply. If the spanners are concerned, suggest they
so urces, and these people are adding to the load. check the neighbors (neighboring localities and cor-
How much the spa nner has to fix, and how much ners) to see if they have regular contact with the cor-
below the corner can get mud- ner, and what they're Like.
Wakewi,s the Yo unger. (b. AD 1213) (
kerd ,book o{ Sce11,s from IJ93 d ed, especially if the as/as
in k & wa sh
riba l Li bra rium a r Ligny
nots that were £ragged See also the Foxhorn, and the reference to
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
San Use this card for Time Comba 1. Assign each N P a number at
C0 NTINUUM ™ ld t. n ott" thei r Sp3n, th en use rhe numbe.r in th t' colum n at fur
-=_
left fo r every \Veep rh cy act. and of course anv rime th ey
Rolepla ying in the Yet '" declare their nexl weep. ·
~ ......
01 998 1999 1,1....,. ~ A FOi:ld191>
-- GM,s SPAW" CARD
"' Span
# SWEEPDrR. WHEN WHERE DURATION
--
( spcni : " ) c~emainingj
-
.___
- (D/IJ\J) YYYY/MM/DO hh:mm(:ss) evtnLVacrions /D/h/m/s Y/D/h/m/s y 0 h m s
--..
~
- -
--- -- ---
,_ -
,_
.... -..... --
'---
.___
-- ,_
- - -
'---
-- -- -- -
'---
'--- .___
- --
-
-
.....
._
'---
-
- ~
---
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'---
'---
.___
- C9 NTINUUM™, SPAN'"' . and THE YET™ are trademarks of IEtherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. World rights reserved. V. 1.Q
Penalties: Frag 8-
Results vs. Mind at -2 You're probably the typica l ghost. Most of
Results vs. Quick at -4 the time you can't manifest, and when you do, it's
often fixed to repeating an important event you
Powers: failed at from farther Down.
Discorporation- You may be able to see the con-
tents of envelopes, wooden drawers, sometimes Penalties:
through thin stone or brick, but never metal or heav- At 8 and above, Body is effectively O for all checks-
ily glazed ceramic. but you no longer have to worry about IP or Shock,
either. Death may be a welcome release, though, and
Frag ?- it's not to be come by from natural means here ...
You ' re a nightmare. Leve!Jers that see you scream, or Results vs. Mind at -3; a Mind check is required to
call 911. Your very looks are a threat to the appear as a ghostly apparition. +1 bonus if you've
Continuum, so don't expect to be sentient long. successfully manifested before: but must perform the
same action as before, in the same spatial location.
Penalties: Results vs. Quick at -5; a Quick check is necessary
Same as Frag 6, plus extreme mental disorientation, to see if you can move small objects, or make minor
and memory loss. effects to physical things (i .e. small cuts in flesh,
knocking something off a shelf) or minor energy-
Powers: based effects (chilly drafts, power surge in an app li-
Discorporation- You can reach through walls, ance, etc.)
boxes, and with some concentration and patience,
through thin barriers of metal (up to about one inch Powers:
is safe; pulling through any more runs the risk of Haunting- Can still follow people around, and
leaving fragged parts of you behind.) show up in various locations, instead of just one.
Terror- Your presence can affect deep emotions,
Note that curing Frag while reaching usually fear. Can be love, sadness, etc. But deep.
through objects is a bad idea . Your molecules reinte-
grate into a new pattern with the object you are Frag 9-
reaching through, and any flesh interacting with any- You're generally invisible, though sometimes
thing more volatile than salt water will be killed. you can manifest as a dim ball of light. Sort of.
Spanners are assured from the day they are Invited
that even if one dies while Spanning, they are in no Penalties:
danger of this happening. But Frag is another story Results vs. Mind at -4; a Mind check is required to
a LI together. appear as said ball of light (or pool of darkness). No
bonus for repeat performances.
Results vs. Quick at -6; poltergeist effects like those
Beyond 7- listed for Frag 8 are on ly possible on a Victory, and
Even if you are so blessed as to have juniors only one a ttempt a day.
of less than Frag 8, they can't [Fifth Maxim] or
won't help you here. On rare occasions, the spanner Powers:
that fragged you to 8 will get his comeuppance- Haunting- Cannot fo llow people unless base Quick
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
is over 10: You 're stuck in one place, house, grove of make peoples' Lives unluck y. A penalty of -1 is
trees, etc., unless you possess a passing person. secretly applied by the GM to all the Skills and
Possession- This is now possible; Frag 9 is the opti- Attributes of the possessing person, as long as the
mum niche with which to enter a leveller's Mind and object is within 20 yards of them at the time.
mess around. Minds of 3 or less cannot resist you. Bless- Full-fledged Vessels can conversely assist
Possessed characters generally do what the possess- their keepers, increasing their good luck. These are
ing spanner wants, even down to details: The effect not usuall y left lying around .. . [See Vessels, pg. 204]
can seem to be either schizophrenia or multiple per- Po ession- This is now much harder; (see Frag 9,
sonality disorder [see Madness and Related abo e). Any M.ind can attempt to resist you· Minds
Problems, pg. 138). Curing frag, or increa ing it of 4 and higher au tomatically succeed against you.
beyond 10 drives the possessor out. Possessed characters must keep the spanner's object
on their person, and can only get vague urgings from
Frag 10- the possessor, but will act on them. Usually diag-
You ' re probably settled into a single object. nosed as schizophrenia, with a danger of violent ten-
[See Vessels, pg. 204). This a llows you to remain dencies.
extant in the hopes that someone will find you and
you' ll have some chance to reincorporate yourself. Frag 11+
Unfortunately, waiting like this can take years, even Give it up. Your physical existence is now
centuries of level time, during which the fragged fixed at a small amount of spacetime, with minimal
Mind retains less and less, becomes bitter, confused resemblance to anything you may have been. Anyone
and wrathful. Hence many instances of bad luck curing your frag now may be doing a service to the
seem to come out of nowhere ... universe, but is unlikely to return you to any sem-
blance of humanity: Beyond Frag 10 your fate is
Penalties: pretty well signed, sealed and delivered. Consider
Results vs. Mind at -5 yourself lucky in the extreme if the Quicker can find
Results vs. Quick at -7 what's left of you and take you to Cold Storage.
(And see Frags 8 & 9 above.)
If the final as/as not causing your frag is
Powers: unknown , you Can only be found Roo k Morrow (b. 198 )
panel, fro m 8/11, SJ11ft # I
Curse- For spanners less than Vessel status [See by a Clairvoyant [pg. 114] with mk . acry lic & graph i«
a Qujck equal to Or greater than Ae, h<rco Comics
stats of various Vessels, pg. 204), all they can do is AD 2008
your Frag.
Chapter IV: Mastering C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Secret Ploys and Countermeasures open vials of Cancerean Era plagues or hazardous
species are all typical narcissist booby traps. The
Recruitment Foxhorn have special hazard teams to go and defuse
Spanners of the Continuum accept that what these kamikazes, often with Engineer and Physician
is, is. All the joys and sorrows of humanity are in support. [See Engineers, pg. 163, Foxhorn, pg. 164;
their proper places and perspective. But the narcis- and Physicians, pg. 166.]
sists see otherwise, and no two see it the same way.
While we know our unity to be our strength, they Bookworms
perceive their unpredictability as theirs. As mentioned under Scribes [pg. 171], some
Hence narci sists may chose anywhen to narcissists specialize in confusing loyal spanners'
recruit. There is little obvious pattern to these span- Span and Yet books. While onl y rarely successful,
ners, since chaos i their credo anyway, but they look careless young spanners that have failed to bring
for the places where doubts can come in, and so try th eir books to the Scribes for copying are always the
to build both a consensus, and a nest of powerful ones that find they've been bookwormed, and have
allies: For many narcissists pose as loyal for as long an impossible time trying to sort out their Age and
as they possibly can. Spying and treason are the their Yet without fragging themselves- everything in
v orst offen es again r the Continuum, as they are their lives have to be researched all over again, and
ugly violations of the First and Fifth ma xims. some grow so desperate they succumb to narcissist
And if they cannot convince loyal spanners blackma il just to (literally) get their Jives back. Don't
to join their narrow causes (see Narcissists & Lesser let this ha ppen! As late Piscean computer users well
Dangers, pg. 135], then they try to build their own ... know, a minor maxim to remember is 'Save a back-
up, and save often!' Scribes are always ready to copy
Crashers: Spanners born of hate your books, so set a date in your Yet to do it. And
Like Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, most nar- acquire Photographic Memory [See ppg. 10, 13) as
cissist do nor hesitate to create new life- in this case oon as feasible.
new spanners- agai nst th eir will. Those that survive
the proces ing with faulty, jerry-rigged, or aged Corner Assaults
equipment, must also survive the grue lling These are usually carried out by large num-
experience of learning under a master with only his bers of misinformed crashers who are the cannon-
agenda in mind- with an attitude that one's family fodder sent in by the higher Span narcissists to dis-
a nd loved ones are furniture, or who claims to know guise their high-powered assau lts on the members of
your every a ttempt to e cape hi s will. Many narcis- the corner. This is Hit and Run on a massive sca le,
ist masterminds use drugs with unique dosages and is usually performed with the sole intent of
available only from them, to keep their 'broods' in killing or fragging out an entire corner. Attacks of
line. Their abi lities may be well below par even for a this serious a nature are rare after the Gemini Wars,
Span One, and may only be able to span a few days but should still be prepared for.
Up or Down before engendering risk to themselves,
and ma require much longer periods of rest. And Cuckoo
their first instructions, after they've barely begun to Vicious ploy of narcissists, to replace the
heal, is usually to spa n around and kidnap more loyal spanners of an entire corner with lookalike
warm bodies. narcissists. They usually attempt to use the Second
This is recruitment at its most barbaric: Maxim against loya l spanners, pretending to be
press gangs of narci ss ists sweeping our to draw more elders, luring us one by one to a place to be killed
innocents into a life they cannot understand, and and replaced. Replacing the mentor is the hardest,
which can only re ult in their destruction. Many and is often attempted first, though some cautious
such levellers ha ve been rescued by the Continuum high-Span narcissists- whose plan this is- prefer to
before its too late, and have been blessed with a save the mentor as the coup de gras. Cuckoos are
proper corner and an in-between. But the crashers fully prepared to pretend to be loyal Continuum
are simply too dangerous, in mind, and in their very spanners for years of Age: After all, they'll keep
existence, and when the Foxhorn are in the mood for meeting up with members of the real corner Up and
a rabbit hunt, or for an easy training exercise for Down, and have all the deceased's Span books to
Twos, they make thorough mop-ups of these poor sort out what's left of their dead hosts' Yets- just so
creatures. no one suspects.
The Surprise
H ere are listed a few kernels from which to Falsell is involved, but he's trying ro take the
grow tales of adventure with your playing gro up, blame off his leveller dad, the real killer.
listed by the Span they' re most appropriate for. Each
is broken into three developing parts of the plot: Money Makes the World Spin 'Round
Th e Invitation
• The Invitation Someone has to set up the One Big Score for
Borrowing the name from the Invitation to Spanners, right? Here, the players get drafted into
Da nce, this is the inviting aspects of the scenario; helping the Moneychangers put pieces in place for
what makes it an interesting situation for the charac- what turns out to be their own One Big Scores ... and
ters. get to deal with some of the disreputable parts the
• Th e Likely Span of Events Moneychanger business, like theft, murder for insur-
With spanners, anything can happen. But if ance money, and the Internal Revenue Service.
the plot follows through anyw here near expected, it
should flow like this. Whenever you're designing a Likely Span of Events
scenario, it's a good idea to create a Likely Span of The player characters are put through all the
Events to bring the characters back on track with the worst imaginable mobland scenes of torture for
main plot. information, money laundering and skimming gam-
• Th e Surprise bling winnings. Most of the pressure is on the span-
No good plot is without a twist, or at least ner whose money is being raised. Rebelling now only
an exciting ending. resuJts in frag, as the characters get thicker and deep-
Chapter IV: Mastering C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
er into the situation, they have to back each other to You're on Candid ChainJetter
keep going down the dark precipice of clandestine The Invitation
finance. Recently, a friend (let's call him Tom) from
another corner approaches the players. He said that
The Surprise recently, he started getting strange photos in the
With a little fruning or even a momentary mail, showing him at various locations, all marked
peek into the lives of their victims, the spanners with a time, date, and location. The first one, be
make a startling discovery. Most of the people ignored, and was soon was fragged for ignoring bis
they' re shafting on the stock exchange or in the Yer. He corrected it, and now is at the whim of
backroom of the IRS are pretty reprehensible peo- these photos that get to him no matter what, and
ple, who thought they were going to get away with force him to be at the strangest of places and doing
hurting shareholders, or cheating another 1.eveller out the strangest things: Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah's
of hard-earned cash, or worse. The Moneychangers Witnesses soliciting for a blood drive, the local sena-
will simply explain that the leveller scam artists and tor's office handing out pamphlets on communism,
misanthropes who have to hide their tracks when and dressed as a mime at the local museum, to name
making their own scores, are the ones least likely to a few.
pipe up when their ill-gotten gains are vanished
away. Tnis is the painfoJ but steady justice of the Likely Span of Events
Continuum. Are the photos real, and who is taking
them? That's the first question the spanners are likely
Adventures for Span Twos to ask. Tom insists that hes watched scrupulously,
and has seen no one with a camera at the correct
Timelike Love Triangle angle. At the last one- the mime gig- he even
The Invitation planted a video camera an entire hour before his visit
The players are contacted by Rosa and taped the whole thing. He's never been so humil-
Fernandez, who says that her brother Luis has been iated, but there seem's to be no clues as to who's the
fragged by a narcissist, but the fragging occurred so photographer: no one shows up to take the shot.
far Down that she can't help him. She says she's a Once the player spanners start hanging
Span One, and a bit desperate for help. (But see the around the scenes, they may discover a young lev-
Surprise) eller girl who is also setting up a hidden camera, the
one taking all the shots. She claims to be doing a
Likely Span of Events special project for college based on polling statistics,
Whatever happens, the players will start to and that she's been disturbed that the same guy
have odd experiences- hearing voices, things mov- keeps showing up in all her statistically random
ing at the corner of their vision and so on. They will shots. She thinks Tom is following her, and is start-
also be approached by Eric Reed, who says he is a ing to get nervous.
loyal Span Three. He will warn them off helping It will turn out that her professor is a narcis-
Rosa. However, he'll seem shifty, and he's from suffi- sist experimenting with Clairvoyance to help choose
ciently far away in spacetime that it's hard for them moments when to frag spanners. He's actually a
to check on him. If the players persist in helping loner, and only Span Two, so he's fairly easily dis-
Rosa, they'll find themselves being £ragged. patched. But his office contains no notes on his
expenmenrs.
The Surprise
Rosa and her boyfriend (Luis Vasquez, not a The Surprise
brother of hers) are narcissists, actually Span Two. Soon after helping to solve the mystery and bag
The "Continuum spanner" is another narcissist with the guilty party, someone in the player characters'
whom they've been engaging in Time Combat (they corner starts getting photos of themselves at various
cheated him in a deal for pirate gold and Rosa's places as well...
affections). Rosa's brother is fragged so far that he's
beyond help. She's been trying to heal his frag, but Adventures for Span Threes
the other narcissist is too quick for her- and she's
been picking up frag of her own. Hence she enlists Sex and the Single Borgia
the help of the players. If the players succeed in The Invitation
defeating Eric Reed and healing the brother's frag, The characters are asked to span to ltaly in
they will have to fight Rosa and her brother, who 1506- the Court of Lucrezia Borgia. In order to
will want to cover their tracks. ingratiate themselves at court, they will have to take
on period disguises. And whiJe Lucrezia Borgia is a
patron of the arts (the players might like to consider
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
taking on the role of artists, poets, or musicians), her The Surprise
court was a hotbed of scandal and intrigue. Once the players run out of spacetime to
Although the spanners' mission does not directly neak around, trying to defend their corner- when
involve Borgia, at the GM's discretion they may get all hope is lost, and the shootist must show, or be
impljcated or otherwise drawn in to her machina- branded a yellowbelly- just have a character stride
tions. in at the proper times and hours, who says nothing,
The spanners are to locate and protect Ana- doesn 't even ask the time, but wails in on the bad
Luisa Peireta, the daughter of a local lordling. There guys with score of at least Body 7 Quick 8, Pistol
is a running battle to take her out by fragging her Gl0, Al l Other Firearms M8, Knife M8 and Span
which other Spanners are currently fighting. It is enough to spare for an y Time Combats.
believed that since the Continuum is winning this This mysterious stranger never speaks or
war, the band of narcissists concerned will try a reveals their name, but beneath the kerchjef resem-
more direct approach. Ana-Luisa is supposed to bles a weather-worn elder of the shooter. If the play-
marry the son of MazziucheUi, and this will cement er had asked to slipshank a gemini, let him- but
trade between the two cities. skip the frag penalty, because that gemini was with
one high Span drifter...
Likely Span of Events
The Narcissists may try to kill Ana-Luisa; or Amazing Grace
they may try to render her unmarriageable by getting The Invitation
her pregnant (either in the traditional way, or by It starts with all the beer being gone from
technological means). Either way, the characters will the refrigerators at some Span Three mentor confer-
have to discover what nicks of time to appear in, ence, and the player characters unwittingly £rag
unseen, to keep Ana-Luisa from getting an unhappy someone by taking the last case of an Exalted's
ending. favorite beer from the store, the one he is certain he
buys ...
The Surprise Who is driving them into such a hjgh-pow-
Ana-Luisa is already having an affair with ered conflict?
one of Lucrezia Borgia's courtiers, Encole Strazza,
outside of any narcissist intrigue. She would much Likely Span of Events
rather not marry her betrothed. She will do all she The Spanners get to dance around the edge
can to get out of the betrothal, including (trying) to of a Time Combat as they are manipulated into pro-
have her guardians secretly killed if that's what it viding for Graces in an ongoing Time Combat
takes. between some high Span combatants- this is no pic-
nic, as these Exalted Combatants can hit a spanner
The Qujck and the Fragged for 2 Frag at a pop- so entering the Combat itself
The Invitation by £ragging someone is a bad, bad idea.
A collection of narcissist guns lingers and
shootists decided to hold their gunslinging contest in The Surprise
and about the players' corner. They are quite crafty, The Exalted is being attacked primarily
and the players may not realize what is going on where it hurts most: as a leveller or an initiate expe-
until far into it. Worse yet, the best shooter of the riencing his in-between. Hence much of the time the
corner gets called out for the contest, and they got characters will have the rare thrill of being able to
the numbers, the Span and the muscle to make a teach the Exa lted a lot of that wisdom he's so
Time Combat deadly. They name the places and famous for...
times, and if the shooter don 't show, then they'll just
move in and take over this little locality... Adventures for Span Fours
Likely Span of Events FLY!
The only choice is to play along until they The Invitation
can be isolated and taken out. This can be successful Here's a departure from the Greatest Game:
if the party hangs together and manages to frag out Some of your Threes miss a rendezvous, and word
the bad guys one by one- and frag each out com- comes they're being held in Ariesian Era China, in
pletely in one or two Sweep of Time Combat. 1766 BC- by a leveller. Emperor Ki-Kung-Shi says
Otherwise, his compadres will be alerted, and they'll he's seen a flying machine ... and has been told you
all come down on the player characters instantly. can get him one. He shows that he has your uncon-
Getting the word out to the rest of the Continuum is scious friends- "these sleeping demons"- and will
also something the GM should encourage, though put them to the sword unJess you "spirits" get him
the players will be left as the first line of defense. one) His guards look pretty quick with those blades,
and besides, some bunch of narcissists must be
Chapter IV: Mastering c0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
behind this kidnapping- they're probably still
around, waiting for a royal Time Combat and more
Fourth-Maxim breaking. (And there's no point try-
ing to go Down further to rescue them: It would just
frag you all.)
The Surprise
Despite the large number of threa ts and neg-
ative reactions from individuals along the way (espe-
cially Engineers), neither the local corner nor the
Continuum as a whole really mind Ki-Kung-Shj from
getting his plane: It's in the history books. There will
be a fuss about taking Down more than a quarter
tank of gasoline, however: That stuff could quickly above
get into the wrong hands. Wakewi1s the Yo unge r, (b. AD 1213 )
Sketchbook of Scenes from 139 3
But ultimately, at some point, the Emperor's ink & wa sh
machine crashes (runs out of gas), and gives rum Scriba l Librarium at Ligny
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Modern English/M/Grandmaster/15
Writing/M/Grandmaster/17
Journalism/M/Grandmaster/13
(Among his many other talents and Skills)
Items:
WIT, SHEETS OF FOOLSCAP, and One of the GREAT
POETICAL MINDS of his Day.
Pickwick (1837)
Oliver Twist (1838)
Nicholas Nickleby (1839)
Barnaby Rudge (1840)
The Old Curiosity Shop (1841)
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Scenario
J
,. -~
r~
., ~I .
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Science:Chemistry/M/Journeyman/7 Toughness/B/Apprentice/4
Science: Physics/M/Apprentice/6 Dreaming/Q/Journeyman/8
Observation: Science/M/Apprentice/6 Firewalking/Q/Journeyman/8
Library Science/M/Journeyman/7
Etiquette/M/Apprentice/6 Items: Some SIMPLE CLOTHING, and his PRAYER MAT, which
he has Never Washed.
Items: A Fine PARASOL, and Hidden in her BAG is a SLIDE
RULE from the Twentieth Century, that her Elder Left her, An Indian yogi and mystic, Aram is a standout in the
and that Will Be Given her as a Present from Milton This proper circles of London, with swarthy skin, dark shoul-
Christmas Day. der-length hair, and an impossibly thin build. Came back
with to the corner with Harmon Paget after Harmon's
From Paris, Margaret is a strong-willed, independent latest campaign in India. Seems to be more in touch with
woman, part of a new breed in the Victorian period. reality than most, and suffering for it as a result.
Studied physics and chemistry in the University of
Bologna, and is quickly becoming an authority in science
among the academic community. This riles the traditional
male-dominated science community, which suits her fine. Additional Story:
5
Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use only.
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
Scenario
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Scenario
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
Preparing and Starting to Play
Scenario Likely Span of Events
First, it’s always a good idea to for GMs to read an
entire scenario in advance, and to take notes about
Introduce The Watchman Society, and Victorian
parts you’d like to emphasize or elaborate during England, December 7, 1843 AD. The end of a rather
play. Why not take the time now? good party; let players practice Spanning around the
house.
When you’re ready to start play, hand out copies of
Players’ Notes (the first two pages of this scenario) Charles Dickens comes to door, pleading for the Society
and let the players familiarize themselves with their to investigate his ghostly sighting.
characters and their chronies. When each have cho-
sen a character, hand each player a copy of their Go to the house at the appropriate time, see Marley’s
“Ghost” and find part of his Span Book among the
selected persona’s statistics, from the handouts at the
mess.
end of this section.
Go back and meet with Milton, who will suggest cours-
Recommend that everyone read the rules well before es of action if they don’t have any.
play, but allow several minutes to answer questions
at the game session itself. Expect private questions Either investigate Fitzwaring and bully information out
about character quirks, and general ones about how of him about how they hit Marley, or investigate
time travel “works” in CºNTINUUM (especially if this Scrooge. Either one will lead to the other. Alternately,
is your first time playing.) Be prepared to answer they may choose to Patch Marley’s Frag.
individual character questions away from the rest of
Time Combat, initiated based on actions the characters
the players, but try to answer questions of general take. Alternately, the characters may catch Fitzwaring
interest to all players, to avoid repeating yourself. and Tiny Tim off-guard by initiating Time Combat them-
selves. (See ppg. 14-5 for them & their motivations.)
Likely Span of Events.
The list at right gives a kind of checklist of things to Epilogue: Wrap up and review of the adventure.
cover during play. It’s not a hard and fast timetable, Skill advancement.
by any means, but it does point out the major “plot
points” to touch on during the game. The major ele- chains. “I gathered up my family and hid them away
ments of CºNTINUUM that are demonstrated in this with my wife’s friends, claiming that a beam had
scenario, are highlighted in boldface. broken and the home was unsound. The ghost fol-
lowed me still, on and off, and I have been at my
Opening Moves. wits’ end. You all know of such things. You must
This evening is the wrap-up of a rather exciting abjure this terrible spirit, you must!”
party. Feel free to throw whatever elements into a Dickens offers to pay the Watchman Society for
gathering of politicos, explorers, and occultists that their efforts, but Milton turns the money down. If
you feel are interesting, proper, or exciting: Trysts, asked more detailed information about the ‘spirit’,
seances, gentlemanly wagers all have their place in he describes someone that seems to be very Fragged:
this environment. This will give Spanners a chance Barely visible at times, but other times seen in ghost-
to practice Spanning about the buildings, perhaps to ly pieces. Part of it passed through a curtain, and
avoid suspicious husbands or wives, or perhaps to then dragged the curtain with it. It popped in and
has some fun with gullible levellers. out, and babbled “watchman” several times before
In any case, after the party wraps up and all the fading. It appeared to him on several other occa-
spanners in the corner have gathered to relax a bit, sions, when he was alone, always saying “watch-
there is a fierce knocking on the door. If a servant is man” before fading.
unavailable (due to the spanners’ need for privacy) it Milton continues to question Dickens alone in
often falls to Daksha to play the role. Once the door another room, while an elder Milton meets with the
is open, a rather distraught man whom they will rec- Corner upstairs in the private library. From what
ognize as Charles Dickens (see pg. 3) rushes in. Dickens describes to Milton, the ghost is a severely
Defying convention, he walks right in and sits down Fragged spanner, most likely to be considered a Lost
in the nearest chair, trembling. He is near incoher- Cause. But Milton shows no reluctance to let the
ent, but after only a few moments of thought and characters ask more information about this spanner.
perhaps some brandy, he manages to calm down Further investigation is necessary in order to deter-
enough to talk. mine the best way to handle the situation. To avoid
Dickens explains that he was beginning work on a running into Dickens at his house, Milton pinpoints
Christmas story, with some difficulty, when the periods of time when he is absent, but when the
strangest sight greeted him; a ghost. Specifically, a Fragged spanner would still most likely appear. He
gaunt man, wrapped in chains and moneyboxes, says after investigation, everyone should Rendezvous
8
imploring him in soundless gestures, but rattling his at the Corner on December 10th, 1843, at 11:30
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Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
AM, so they can discuss the situation and determine
Jacob Marley Scenario
how to proceed.
Fifth Maxim Poster Boy
Society Britain Locality Great Britain AD c1840s
Corner London AD c 1840s Frat Moneychangers
The Dickens Residence.
Age 52y 78d
This is a large and well maintained house. Before
SPAN 3 FRAG 6
December 5th, AD 1843, the Dickens’ are in resi-
Body 5 Mind 6 Quick 7
dence, and the place is filled with children. At 11 PM
on December 5th, AD 1843, Dickens has his wits Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating (before Frag Penalties)
scared out of him by the Fragged spanner, and he Modern English/M/Journeyman/8
quickly gathers his family and hides them away with a Finance/M/Master/9
good friend. The spanner leaves at 11:20 PM, but Research/M/Master/9
returns shortly after. In the morning of December 6th, Mathematics/M/Journeyman/8
AD 1843 at 10:19, Dickens returns to the house, and Carriage/Q/Journeyman/9
is scared again as his library is torn apart in front of Items:
him by the ghostly Spanner, who is apparently search- NONE. Except: Jacob currently appears to have
ing for something, but vanishes. heavy chains and cash boxes attached at his wrist,
Assuming that the characters use discretion, they ankles, throat, and belly, making his movement
can appear anywhere within this time and investigate. noisy and rather frightening. If met at Frag 7, close
inspection reveals that some of these items are
bonding to his flesh.
Something in his Yet:
Jacob was going to frighten a miser named
“Scruggs”, so that he would know generosity, and it
would inspire Dickens to write some story or another.
The First Sweeps of a Time Combat:
He was Fragged 2 times (Hit and Run), then he
Oracled. Found that one of the attackers is named
Fitzwaring, and is located at a clockmaker’s shop in
London, on October 29th, 1843 (Jacob purchased a
pocketwatch on that day, and Fitzwaring stole it
before it was purchased). As well, he discovered that
the second Hit and Run was at November 2nd,
1843, where the wheel from his carriage was stolen
from in front of a local public house. He showed up
at Fitzwaring’s next Sweep (which was a Cobweb by
Tiny Tim), January 14th, 1844, and was ambushed,
beaten severely and tied in chains and moneyboxes
as a gesture to mock him (as well, Fitzwaring Spans
to April 13, 1844 and steals Marley’s financial
ledgers from his safe). While someone referred to by
the strange phrase “minor man” plots what to do
with him, Marley fakes unconsciousness; at an
Holding a conversation with Jacob is difficult at opportune moment he is able to Span away with
best. He is frightened if anyone spans in front of part of his Spanbook.
him, but asks “Time is?” of the characters. If they
respond properly, he still shies away, wandering The Meandering Details:
about the house seemingly searching for something. His notes become frantic here, mere scribbles like
A successful Mind roll shows that Marley spends a “Frighten”, “Scruggs’ House”, and a date:
great deal of time in the library, paging through November 18th, 1843. He also seems to have only
books unsuccessfully. If the characters search part of his Span Book, because he was too burdened
through the library, they find part of a well-worn and badly fragged to carry items safely.
ledger that looks like a Span book. Anyone with
Accountancy, Finance, or Mathematics can take With this information in hand, the characters
about a week of Age (with a successful Mind roll) to should be ready to return to the Rendezvous. Of
decode the section of the book, and find the follow- course, they may pursue any of the leads they have
ing information: come across on their own, but it may not be wise to
do so without the advice of their Mentor. 9
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
Back at the Corner. is stealing a watch. [This shows Fitzwaring’s and
Scenario December 10th, 1843, 11:30 AM Tiny Tim’s assaults on Marley, and the fact that one
of the Narcissist’s is smaller in stature.]
Milton is waiting, with a big lunch for himself,
lounging rather comfortably in a expensive robe. He Scruggs: A youthful man wearing a wrinkled mask,
listens to the information that the characters have, walking forward in a straight line, despite the power
and nods knowingly. He fields any suggestions the to turn left and right. He watches people pop in and
group has, asking questions, but tries to steer them out of his life, circling around him, but does not fol-
towards covering the following points, with his own low them. [This shows that Scruggs is more than the
comments or answers: leveller he appears, yet not quite a Spanner; someone
that is playing a part as a Leveller.]
Is the Spanner in the house someone that the
Quicker need to collect, or can be brought back?
Milton’s answer: “Well, from what I know, we will Investigating Scruggs
all be meeting him again. Don’t forget to put that in The leveller known as Eleazar Scruggs dies in 1841
your Yet.” (two years Down). However, that has not stopped
someone from taking his place. (See pg. 12.)
Who did it?
Milton’s answer: “You seem to have a name in that
scrap of Spanbook there. You might want to check Patching Marley’s Frag, based upon information in
it out. I’ll keep an eye out as well.” his Spanbook.
As soon as they perform the first Patch (on the
Why did Marley violate the Fourth Maxim? pocketwatch, the carriage, or his ledgers), Fitzwaring
Milton’s answer: “Frag muddles the mind as well as and Tiny Tim initiate Time Combat with them. If
the body. You do not always think straight in such the characters are getting hammered, Eleazar will not
matters, and it can be tragic indeed.” help unless he is directly assaulted or Marley is
about to be Fragged out (he’s trying to maintain his
Are they interfering with a previous Time Combat? Leveller identity). Milton helps with Measure and
Milton’s answer: “Well, from what I see in the Oracle, but he is well aware that the characters need
Spanbook, the Combat has not yet ended. Therefore, to handle this situation by themselves. If they man-
with caution, I would recommend investigating the age to reduce Marley to a reasonable amount of Frag
matter, and helping Jacob repair the Frag he has (by Patching all three incidents at once, for exam-
taken. You might also want to gather information ple), Marley jumps into the combat full-force, bring-
on his attackers before you dive headlong into such ing his considerable abilities to bear on the
affairs.” Narcissists.
Dreaming
Both Aram and Peter have the Dreaming skill.
Here are some suggestions on what each will see if
they Dream about certain subjects:
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Scenario
Victory Conditions:
•Stopping both Tiny Tim and Fitzwaring (ppg. 14
15), or at least getting their identities and
information about them to Milton or the
Hunt Club.
•Keeping Marley intact so that he can scare the hell
out of Scruggs (who then tells his tale to Dickens, who
dashes off a rather famous story before deadline).
•Recovering the remains of Marley’s spanbook.
Epilogue
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Melee(Cane)/B/Master/9
Finance/M/Master/12
Disguise/M/Journeyman/10
Acumen: Life of Eleazar Scruggs/M/Grandmaster/13
Acting/Q/Master/12
(Many others Skills, as appropriate).
Items:
Being the Eponymous Rich Miser, he has VAST
WEALTH, and Lives In SPARSE TRAPPINGS.
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
SPAN 0 FRAG 1
Body 5 Mind 3 Quick 4
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Modern English/M/Journeyman/5
Finance(Accounting)/M/Master/6
Humility/Q/Master/7
(And a few other Humble Skills.)
Items:
His MEAGER WAGES, but Only Upon his Rare Pay
Days, and a Few LUMPS OF COAL, Stashed Away
for Emergencies.
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
SPAN 3 FRAG 1
Body 6 Mind 9 Quick 9
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Crutch/B/Master/9
Knife/B/Master/9
Toughness/B/Journeyman/8
Finance/M/Master/12
Acting/Q/Journeyman/11
Hypnotism/Q/Master/12
And Most Other 15th and 19th Century Skills, at
at least Novice Rank.
14
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. CºNTINUUM material Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. Original material Copyright ©1999 Caias Brian Ward. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Plum Pudding and Other Such... CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Patrick Fitzwaring Scenario
Society Celtia Locality Dublin 1830s
Corners Dublin 1830s London AD c 1840s
Frat (Narcissist) Age 42y 186d
SPAN 2 FRAG 0
Body 4 Mind 6 Quick 7
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
Walking Stick/B/Journeyman/6
English/M/Journeyman/8
History: Celtic Rebellions/M/Apprentice/7
Firearms/M/Journeyman/8
Irish Gaelic/M/Master/9
Swindle/Q/Journeyman/9
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ Plum Pudding and Other Such...
.
Scenario
AN IMPORTANT ERRATA.
A MERRY CHRISTMAS
TO ALL,
A JOYOUS MILLENNIAL
YEAR,
and
May God Bless Us,
Every One.
from
16
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
Scenario Scenario
The Death Hand of CºNTINUUM ™
Players’ Notes
[GMs: Hand out copies of this page to all players, and read from page 2 as you deem appropriate.]
Your Corner
Rosie “Bubbles” LaPaz
It’s the summer rave scene of 1993, and your corner is
(Age 21y 84d; Born August 22, 1905)
“Hook & Wheels” It’s main area is the rave space at
Bubbles is a Bright Young Thing from Chicago that nearly
Mercy Warehouse in Red Hook (Brooklyn). Levellers are
got herself killed in the crossfire of a gunfight during an
amazed that you’re such regulars, there every night, pulling
early Prohibition raid. Justin rescued the teen Rosie, and
24 hour stints or longer. How about that. And you never
decided (or discovered) she was a keeper. It took some
get caught by the cops, either.
finagling to bring her up to the Nineties, but everyone feels
20th Century New York is a populous town, and spanner
it was worth it.
corners barely encompass entire neighborhoods, let alone
boroughs. The map of spanner “turf” is sufficiently hazy Rowena Lincoln (Age 20y 40d; Born April 7, 1975)
that most New York corners make an effort to work in Works at the Love pharmacy on Madison Ave in the East
concert. Your corner is Red Hook (Brooklyn) between 90s. Gorgeous girl in love with a leveller named Vinny.
June AD 1990 and August AD 1995, but if you have to Vinny’s in with the Latin Lords. Rowena tried telling him
act on Continuum business around the city, it’s not usually once about spanning, but he just called her nuts.
a big deal. Everyone's worried that it won't work between them.
Note that Manhattan and the other boroughs are too far
to span to levelly in a single jump (if you’re Span 1). The Taro Matsushita (Age 24y 18d; Born May 8, 1974)
subway system is full of unwatched chambers, that local Yes, he knows martial arts, and even trains people for
spanners familiarize themselves with in order to cross town cash. He's a professional stunt man, but he's proudest of
in a matter of seconds. his work as an indie film director, which few of you have
seen, since it's all in Japanese.
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
The Rave Scene.
Scenario “Hook & Wheels”: This is your rave club, and being
Justin Freiburg
spanners, you’re never raided, at least not successful- Mentor Extraordinaire, Cageless Wonder
ly by the level cops. Sex and drugs in these con-
trolled environments were very much in evidence in Society United States Locality Chicago AD c1970
the early ’90s, less so later; it is up to the GM how Age 37y 88d
much this is a part of his play style. Corner Brooklyn 1990s Frat Foxhorn
SPAN 3 FRAG 0
On the Rave map, the “L’s” are leveller guards and B6 M7 Q9
bartenders. They don’t know about spanning, and Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating
ask no questions about their employers’ secrecy, as Modern English/M/Master/10
the pay is good and some of you look standardly Driving— Motorcycle/B/Master/12
dangerous. (And many another skill as the GM sees fit)
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The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
. 240/ Scenario
fin
I!..
Dance Floor
r.-
L
1601
J 11
HANDOUT #1
I
6 0 X e
100'
L_
HANDOUT #2
Maps ©1998 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use only. 3
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Scenario
Works at the Love on Madison Ave in the East 90s. Yes, he knows martial arts, and even trains people for
Gorgeous girl in love with a leveller named Vinny. Vinny’s cash. He's a professional stunt man, but he's proudest of
in with the Latin Lords. Rowena tried telling him once his work as an indie film director, which few of you have
about spanning, but he just called her nuts. Everyone's seen, since it's all in Japanese.
worried that it won't work between them.
Additional Story:
Additional Story: Your indie films are primarily four shorts and one hour-
Even you’re worried it won’t work out, especially since long masterpiece built on footage you took of natives in
Continuum spanners of higher Span keep looking at you the South Seas, which you dubbed over with weird narra-
with such sad eyes. tion in your native tongue. There are five literati in Tokyo
Vinny taught you to fight, and you’ve been hoping you who think you’re the bomb, though you’ve summoned the
could teach him a thing about love, but he’s been away a courage to not span Up to find out if that career takes off.
lot lately, and it’s starting to look like it’s over. Rowena has been scheduling more practices with you
Plus your mother and your four sisters in Chattanooga than you’d expect. You’re wondering if this means you’ll
keep asking for money, and you’re wondering how much have to trounce Vinny for her or something.
you can bend this time thing for extra cash, without break-
ing the rules or disappointing Justin.
Next time a higher-Span Continuum person asks for
some help, you’re going to ask for that extra cash.
You hated knives until Taro introduced you to the
katana, and now you and he practice whenever you can
arrange it. Hey, now that you think about it, Taro’s an
available man...
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
Scenario
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The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Scenario
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
Preparing and Starting to Play Likely Span of Events
Scenario
First, it’s always a good idea to for GMs to read an
entire scenario in advance, and to take notes about Introduce Rave Scene, Saturday June 5, AD 1993.
parts you’d like to emphasize or elaborate during Explain that Justin will be away.
play. Why not take the time now?
‘St. Michael of Wycroft’ approaches the PCs at the rave
When you’re ready to start play, hand out copies of and asks: “What time is it?”
Players’ Notes (the first page of this scenario) and Mike asks if Justin is around first.
let the players familiarize themselves with their Mike reveals his plight, and the players decide whether
and how to help him.
characters and their chronies. When each have cho-
sen a character, hand each player a copy of their Spanning around town to investigate the location of
selected persona’s statistics, from the handouts on Hand an/or Mike's agenda. [Keeping record of spans.]
ppg. 4-7.
The party goes after the Hand either to give to Mike, or
Recommend that everyone read the rules well before keep it from him.
play, but allow several minutes to answer questions
at the game session itself. Expect private questions Getting the Hand - Physical Combat
about character quirks, and general ones about how (probably against the Hand itself)
time travel “works” in CºNTINUUM (especially if this
Discovering their mistake (either about Mike or about the
is your first time playing.) Be prepared to answer Hand or both), and engaging in Time Combat to undo it,
individual character questions away from the rest of or to try to get the Hand back.
the players, but try to answer questions of general
interest to all players, to avoid repeating yourself. [Failing anything so dramatic, Mary shows up, gives them
her political/Narcissist third degree, and starts Time
Likely Span of Events. Combat.]
The list at right gives a kind of checklist of things to
cover during play. It’s not a hard and fast timetable, Epilogue: Wrap up and review of the adventure.
by any means, but it does point out the major “plot Skill advancement.
points” to touch on during the game. The major ele- Mike asks if Justin is around, and of course, he’s
ments of CºNTINUUM that are demonstrated in this away this weekend. He seems a little concerned at
scenario, are highlighted in boldface. this news, and says something to effect of, “Really? I
was told he’d be here. Well, perhaps you could help
Opening Moves. me. Is there somewhere we could speak privately?”
Once the players have settled their characters in on
the map of the rave, describe the “ordinary” goings Mike’s Plight.
on at a rave: the blare of the music, the lighting, the Once ensconced in the back room or other private
paying leveller customers, and their assorted border- chambers, Mike will explain that he’s in New York
line behaviors. Call for a Perception skill roll against looking for his hand. Savvy players may count their
their Quick. visitor’s hands, and find he has both attached, at
which point he’ll explain further that his hand, and
Success means they notice a tall man, dressed in odd indeed entire forearm were kept in a reliquary, as
clothes— nothing too out of place, anything goes in a sainthood is in his Yet. While martyrdom is not the
rave, but spanners can often tell when someone is best of endings to look forward to, he still feels
“dressing down” for visiting other times. He also has somewhat responsible for his town of Wycroft, and
a greying beard, looks to be in his forties, and is his canonization, for that matter.
crossing towards the bar without looking much at his
dance floor surroundings. Mike claims he wants to make no waves in someone
else’s corner, but he has heard (through spanner
Once at the bar, he looks at the simple setup with a tales) that his arm has made it to New York in the
kind of soft-eyed, delighted smile; a kind of wonder, last half of this century.
though some may wonder what medication he’s on.
If approached, he is soft-spoken and friendly. He also claims he discovered the reliquary vanishes
from record shortly before appearing to save his
If anyone asks him, “What time is it?” he will repeat hometown from famine. This line of enquiry has led
the question back in the eternal method of spanners him to believe the reliquary was brought farther Up,
identifying one another. If no one asks him, he’ll and its return to Wycroft in 1106 is still in the Yet.
open with the signal himself, because he’s here on a Plus, he doesn’t want to appear too often in his
8 personal quest. home locality, as he's a saint there and all, and too
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The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
many such a manifestations might impinge the his- encounter one of the characters alone at this point,
torical record. So he encourages the players to await and perhaps drop some hints he isn’t all he seems. Scenario
his assistant Mary Tillet, and give it to her. (Another
ruse: he just wants to learn its location, or ensure Research
that these unsuspecting Span Ones have it for a time, Naturally, resources of the many colleges in the city
and he’ll get it from them. and the extensive New York Public Library make
most basic research merely a matter of spanning
If the characters ask for some proof, Mike can pro- around to the right times. Most details about lev-
vide a picture from a magazine that took him “forev- ellers, even about Tuzzolino’s reclusiveness and inter-
er to locate”. It’s a photo of a tapestry of his Hand est in antiquities, can be gleaned from public papers,
from Natural History magazine. (See pg. 12 for and may require but a single roll.
Mike’s stats and further information on his agenda
and the proofs he’s planted.) Finding out about spanner’s successive lives, or place
in ancient histories, takes greater effort, and each bit
Spanners Chasing Leads of info about their actions (such as Michael’s false
Presuming the players are helpful to Michael, they leads about the Hand, pg. 12 should require a sepa-
will want to try and track his Hand down. rate roll, and expenditure of Age.
Conversely, if they suspect he’s up to no good, they’ll
want to find it and keep it out of his reach. The internet in 1993 is still mainly full of FTP sites
and such, supplemented by the online services like
Players with characters that can teleport and travel Prodigy, CompuServe and AOL. The Web is still in
time are always unpredictable. Some will be stumped its infancy, and you should limit the information one
by all but the most direct clues. Other will pop can glean then accordingly.
around and devise startling, unexpected solutions.
Expect anything in a time travel game. Some likely Finally, there are situations demanding espionage, if
ideas: only of poor levellers’ file cabinets and hard drives.
The GM may devise elaborate maps and play out
Let’s Steal It. how the players sneak around darkened offices,
Once our heroes find the Hand, they may decide to avoiding guards and cameras... but spanners have an
just take it from poor old Mr. Tuzzolino. After all, absurdly easy time of it. They can teleport and travel
it’s needed more elsewhere, and if he needs it back, time. They normally get what they want unless some
Mike will certainly agree to the players that he’ll spanner’s sentient force reaches out and slaps them.
bring it back after the miracles.
Detailed maps are usually only necessary if antago-
All We Need Is A Copy. nistic spanners are present, and research properly
Alas that Mike has no photo of the piece itself (just a applied allows spanners to study an area they are to
crude medieval rendering on a tapestry). All he needs fight in meticulously before spanning back to join
is something that precisely resembles the reliquary, the fight. Running one or two Physical Combats
and he can arrange for any miracles around that. It against levellers will quickly prove how easily beaten
still means locating the Hand, but only a photo is they are. It’s like torturing ants. The first couple
necessary. times can be fascinating, but soon you get bored and
(Note Mike just needs to learn the address of the feel bad about yourself, and move on to worthy
Tuzzolino residence, to succeed.) challenges.
Distrusting Mike.
Let the players come to this themselves. Drop few Dreams
hints, if any, that he’s anything but an honest Tom and Bubbles both have the Dreaming skill.
Continuum spanner. See if deduction leads to the
truth: the PCs will discover no “St. Michael of Dreams are often more symbolic than direct (unless
Wycroft” in Roman Catholic books of saints, Lucid Dreaming or the like is used). Here follows a
detailed English histories make no mention of him, few suggestions of the myriad possible investigations
etc. —But wait for them to ask. Information is all. Dreaming players may request:
If confronted, Mike will act nervous, but claim that Tom’s dream of the submarine, if he goes into it far-
something must be seriously wrong: he knows all ther, symbolizes a potential wider threat to the
about his sainthood. He doesn’t mind obscurity, but Continuum. The Hand is entering “strange
someone is succeeding in erasing his name! waters”— where it doesn’t belong, and you have to
stop it. (This is also a clue as to how to stop the
Should the players continue to trust Mike enough to Hand: long immersion underwater [a couple min-
9
want to hand over Tuzzolino’s address, Mary should utes] will short-circuit it if it has already taken 15 IP.
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CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
See the Hand’s statistics, pg. 16)
Scenario After their flashlight beams are seen to penetrate
Dreaming on Mike reveals a shadowy man, much parts of her body, (other bits of organs and muscle
taller than people around him. You’re not sure if this are simply more visible through her unevenly trans-
is how he is seen, or sees himself. [This is deliberate- parent skin), she will try to communicate, but only
ly confusing, but a successful History or equivalent make noises out of syncopation with her jaws, and
roll will reveal that size symbolized the importance mostly unintelligible noises at that.
of a personage in Byzantine and medieval sculpture.]
Frustrated and afraid, she will brazenly reach
Dreaming on Mary reveals her in the guise of through a box and grab the precious card with the
Liberté, a living 18th Century oil painting, dripping information the party is after. The card still has
with blood and anger, screaming threats and oaths in proper mass, so it pulls off the box’s lid as she
French at the observing dreamer. [Later a painting removes it. She waves it right in front of their noses,
might be seen in Tuzzolino’s apartment that closely and spans away with it.
resembles this dream, and even resembling Mary.]
If they manage to acquire the card in the warehouse,
Other dreams involving these two may include shad- (by spanning Down, for instance) they will discover
owy figures (Mike and Mary) circling around the the man who purchased the arm is Leonardo
hand, both aiding and resisting one another. Tuzzolino.
Dreaming on the Hand reveals it grappling around Leonardo purchased other things at auction that day.
the dreamer’s own (or a chrony’s) throat, crushing it Cross-referencing the cards, even with the main one
with casual ease. [If the Hand later is captured, this missing, will discover his name, and his then (and
chrony is attacked first.] still) current address.
Christie’s and its Records Warehouse- Meeting Mary Again for the First Time.
For spanning into Christie’s offices, downtown Just as the players have discovered Mike’s a phony
Manhattan, remember there are cameras on, and (or, conversely, just as they are about to give the
there are leveller guards (use the stats on pg. 16). Hand’s location to him on a platter) a woman will
Still, a couple successes on Quick or Stealth should intrude on their lives.
do the trick. At Christie’s is a basic clue (memo,
computer file, whatever) including the following Perhaps she will be on the dance floor, perhaps in
information: Tuzzolino’s apartment, perhaps even in one of the
corner’s spare beds, calling out to an unsuspecting
1) The date of the closed auction: male player character, whom she will behave as if
Friday May 5, 1963 2:00 PM she’s known him for years (something seemingly
pleasant to put in his Yet).
2) The reliquary of St. Michael of Wycroft was
scheduled to be auctioned. Mary takes whatever position opposite to what the
players have just decided to do (help Mike or trash
3) Details of the purchase are at the records him as a fake). This keeps them guessing, and ulti-
warehouse, the address of which is just a few mately should propel them into acquiring the Hand
doors down from the rave. for themselves.
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
around the apartment. (See Spooner’s stats, and that
of his chronies, pg. 14). Scenario
If invited to dinner, Mary will certainly arrive as a Close-up of Tuzzolino’s Library, revealing the many hand
surprise guest (surprising even to the lucky folks who reliquaries he owns.
have met her elder selves.) Leonardo treats her as an Number Seven is the Death Hand.
old and valued friend, and Mary starts making dark coordinate (perhaps with the help of Spooner), they
hints about her allegiances (which go over stand a good chance of bringing them down.
Tuzzolino’s head, but should make players doubt
every non-player character in the room.) Victory Conditions
Of course, the players will be after the Hand, and Bagging one or both Narcissists, and keeping the
Tuzzolino is entirely willing to show it off— after Hand out of Mike's clutches. Turning it over to
dinner. With Mary present and acting all threatening, Justin or even ensuring Spooner survives the week to
players are likely to try and see or snag the Hand for keep watch over it, are all acceptable outcomes.
themselves.
Game also ends if Mike takes the Hand away from
This proves tricky, as it is one of ten reliquaries of the 1990s. Not a victory, mind.
hand-like quality spread around the room. Even
Tuzzolino is hard-pressed to recall which one is St. Epilogue
Michael’s, but both Spooner and Mary know which
one is the genuine item. Justin rides back into the corner one afternoon, and
either congratulates his crew for a job well done, or
In the Library. shakes his head and offers what condolences he can.
If the players have located any of the magazine arti-
cles, they will be able to narrow down the Hand to In any case, he’ll make one point clear: “That’s not
one of two choices: Numbers 4 (in an glass case with the last we’ve seen of Mike ’n Mary. Life’s not like
an alarm) or Number Seven (on the mantlepiece). Dragnet. Not for us, anyway.”
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
Mike is not a saint by any stretch of the Michael, Abbot of the Monastery at Wycroft Hedge
Scenario imagination, though he's damn good at pretending. “St. Michael of Wycroft”
His pitch is very earnest and above-board.
He will go through the whole process of spanner Society Britain Locality AD 1000 Age 45y 17d
identification, and even ask after Justin, though Corner Druids cAD 250 Frat (Narcissist)
secretly he’s picked this weekend because he's certain SPAN 3 FRAG 1
Justin is way the entire time. B7 M7 Q9
Skill/Attribute/Title/Rating (before Frag penalties)
Typical dialogue: “Hello, I’m called Michael. Saint Old English/M/Master/10
Michael, actually. Of Wycroft. Yes, my martyrdom’s Modern English (1890s)/M/Journeyman/9
in my Yet. A tad disconcerting, but one has to do Late Latin/M/Master/10
one’s part. Anyway. I’m looking for my hand...” Catholicism (Medieval)/M/Master/10
Cudgel/B/Journeyman/9
Mike claims he wants to make no waves in Death Hand Operation/M/Novice/8
someone else’s corner, but he has heard (through Items:
spanner tales) that his arm has made it to New York Non-descript clothes, that are never quite the right fashion. Usually some-
in the last half of this century. thing that can double for a cudgel. Rarely carries money of any kind,
beyond a bag of salt.
He also claims he discovered the reliquary
vanished shortly before appearing to save his home- Mike's agenda.
town from famine. This line of enquiry has led him, His motivation is to change a rather notable
he claims, to believe the reliquary was brought far- piece of history: making himself a saint in his own
ther Up, and its return to Wycroft in 1106 is still in country.
the Yet. Plus, he doesn’t want to appear too often in None of the following happened, but Mike has been
his home locality, as he’s a saint there and all, and planting evidence— “cobwebs” of his agenda
such a manifestation might impinge the historical throughout time. Most of these events are substanti-
record. So he encourages the players to await his ated in only one place, and are occasionally (on a
assistant Mary, and give it to her. Grace) outright shown to be false. St. Michael of
If the players start openly suspecting him of Wycroft appears on no Catholic registry of saints or
mischief, he maintains a pleasant smile, and claims saints’ days, ever. The info he’s planted appears in
only to misunderstand the ways of the 20th Century. small bold face. {When he planted it is braces.}
He’s always ready to apologize or make amends, or
appear to. This villain never shows the emotions of 1) [June 4] 982 - Michael martyred by pagan peas-
one. He more than half believes himself a saint, ants by having his limbs chopped off in witness to
despite all the pain he causes. Pain is normal in his Christ. Smithsonian magazine, April 1979, no other attestations.
locality. {January 7, 1979. in the author’s notes in Washington DC}
Why doesn't Mike just grab the Hand once/if he 2) [August 14] 1047 - Michael appears to children in
learns where it is? danger of falling down an empty well, saving them.
Archaeology Today, May 1987, among other 1980s sources. All refer to a
He hopes to trap Mary, as he doesn’t like manuscript in the collection of the British Library, written in the 1300s.
not being given information when he wants it. He {June 12, 1314. Dictated to a scribe in London who enjoyed the strong
suspects that anyone picking up the device will “medicines” Mike could provide.}
shortly be attacked by it [true]. Also, he has slightly
better knowledge of how these things operate, 3) [September 8] 1106 - The presence of Michael's
despite Mary's years of having it within reach. Once arm (in its reliquary) saves his native town of
it incapacitates her (or a player), he feels he'll have Wycroft from famine. Natural History, March 1974 - has a photo
of the tapestry fragment of the Hand reliquary. The story is based on oral
the time to switch it off safely, and take it Down to tradition and an entry for that date in a monastic diary reading simply, “He
the 12th Century. appeared, holding forth his hand, and saved them from starvation.”
(Translated from Old English. The diary exists in the collection of the
His only “evidence” is the tapestry photo Church of England.) {This breviary is scribbled in Mike’s own handwriting.
He tucked into odd Church papers being held at Oxford on September 22,
from Natural History magazine (mentioned below), 1318.}
which displays a reliquary of an arm being venerat-
ed; and the hearsay that it was auctioned here in 4) c. 1120 - Michael sainted; a tapestry commemo-
New York in the 1960s. He’s come to 1990s because rating his miraculous event is woven. The fragmentary
he's a bit foggy on how to research auction houses, Wycroft Tapestry hangs occasionally in the British Museum. Most sources
and is hoping the players can help [true]. believe it depicts Norman generosity. The reason a golden hand is pictured
is unknown. {Only Michael himself connects the tapestry with his destiny,
as he discovered it by accident in the Museum on June 6, 1887.}
Evidence discovered that contradicts his
story— or lack of evidence supporting him— he’ll The truth. Michael was actually the young abbot of a
blame on Narcissist efforts to erase his sainthood. If foundering monastery in rural Wessex. He oversaw three
necessary, he’ll try to panic the players into believing monks. In his day, there was little if any care on the common
something major is going down: the less they find folks’ part about religious matters; the Danelaw was too near-
by and the Pope too far away to worry about church.
out about St. Michael of Wycroft, the more he’ll act He got involved with spanning and Narcissism when he
wronged and concerned. met the wrong man on the road one day, and got in
12
Artwork © 1999 Juan Sanchez
between him and someone the man had a quarrel with.
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
The Death Hand of St. No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
Marie Tille Scenario
(Mary Tillet), Mike's “Friend”
Items:
Anything she can Slipshank.
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of Saint No-One
Items:
Polishing cloth, extra white gloves.
14
Artwork © 1999 Juan Sanchez
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
The Death Hand of Saint No-One CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™
hill I r/'
15
Artwork © 1999Juan Sanchez
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
CoNTINUUM™: roleplaying in The Yet™ The Death Hand of St. No-One
Scenario
16
Artwork © 1999 Chris Adams & Dave Fooden Edited AD 1999.07.28
CºNTINUUM™ and THE YET™ are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. All contents Copyright ©1999 Manui, Adams & Fooden. All rights reserved, worldwide.
n0
z
I
..~
Rowena Lincoln
Ed Branch Rosie "Bubbles" La Paz
Society Un ired Srares Locnlily c 1990s Com er c 1990s
Society United Stares Locality c 1990s Com er 1990s Society Un ired rares Loco/ii)' hi ago c 1920s
Age 20y 40d Bom Apri l 7, 1975 Frat n/a
Age 30y 64d Bom Ma y 12, 1960 Frat nla Co m er c 1990 Age 2 I y 84d Boru Aug 22, 1905 Frat n/a
PA ·1 FRAGO BODY 3 Ml D 5 QUI .K 6
PAN I FRAGO BODY 4 MIND 6 QUI K 4 SPAN I FRAGO BODY 2 II D 4 QU I K 5
Benefit: Tough
Benefit: Photographic Memo ry Benefi t: Ex traord inary Bea uty
(;ki II/ At Iribu1 effi1 le/Raring
ki1UAnl'ibuteffitl c/Ra1ing Ski ll/ An ributc/Ti 1le/Ro. ting
Lan guage - Spani h/M/Ap prcnrice/6
Firearms/M/Journeyman/8 Etiquenc - U.. I 920's/M/Jo urnryman/6
a r/Q/Nov ice/6
A counrancy/M/Journ ey man/8 Eriquetrc - U.. I 990 's/M/App renri cc/
Arr - Cooking/Q/Apprenri e/7
a r/Q/ Apprenrice/ 5 Melcc o rnbar - Gin Borrlc/B/Apprcnrice/3
Arhlerics - Da ncing/B/Apprenrice/4
Hi story - Firearms/M/Apprenrice/7 Arh leti s - Dancing/B/Apprentice/3
Mclee - Karana/B/Apprcnrice/4
Law - U.S. Modern/M/Apprenri ce/7 Drea ming/Q/Jo urncy ma n/7
Un armed Co mbar/B/Apprcnri ce/4
o mpurer - Inrerner/M/Novice/6 Resca r h - Libra r)'/M/Apprenrice/5
!rem : Kara na
Item : Item :
Wl1af tl•t•ryon~ k_1101vs about Ro,vcnt1: Works at the: Love: on Modison Ave in
Guns, guns, guns, ras~ r, bulletproof vest, copy of ·· un s & Gin Bortle
, the- East 90.s. Gorge us gl rl In love: with a leveller named Vinny. Vinny's 1n
Ammo" ,handcuffs. \Vhal every (spamwr) knows about 811bb/es7 Bubbles il :i Uright Young Thing with [he Larin Lord , Rowcnn tried telling him on C' ::abuur ,;pa nn ing, but he
from hi rigo rhar ne.Jrly got herself killed 111 l'11c- crossfi re or 3 gunfight dut'lng
·what everyone know about Ed: Accountant. Also firearms just .1 lled her nuts. Everyone's worrird 1hat it won'c work betwetn them.
an a rl Prohibi11on raid. The. corner's mentor rescued 1hc recn Rosi~ and
aficionado, and Second Amendment activist. He al o quotes Some of Roiurna "s Pr111ate Stu/{:
decided fur di ovcrcd) sht' was :1 kceptr. h 100k some finagling 10 bring ht'r
rhe Tenth Amendment a lot, e pecially afte r a few bee r , or Even yo u're worried it won't work our, e pecia ll y since
up ro lbc Nin tit", bur everyone. feels it wa wonh it.
whenever rile conversation turn s to the Maxims. Conrinuum spanners of higher Span keep looking ar you with
uch sad eyes.
Some of £d5 Prwa tc tu((: Somr t,f 811/Jhles' Pr11 .1tc S111((:
1
Vinny raugh r yo u ro fi ght , and you ' ve been ho pin g you
Few of your clients know you are a 'gun nur· . There's a You don'1 feel 111s.ine . or eve n srr.111gC' ,1bout being un th e" oth er end of thc-
ccm ury. Th rc-'s s mt'Ch1ng natural to yo u .1bou1 1he link bei-wecn th r Roaring ould teac h him a rhing abo ut love, bur he' been away a lor
gun club upstate near your Westchester County home that
meets every Frid ay night, and sometimes you ca n't re i r
Twerm c~ and the R.we Ni neties. R:wes nrr 1hr s~unr ns spC"akeasys. on ly lou l~r.
more hoices in 'medicine'. and more honc~dy r.1w.
brcl y, and it's starrin g ro look like it's over.
Plu your moth er and yo ur four sisters in harranooga
n
:r
going there fiv e rime a wee k. Bur no one up rare knows of Thr co rnrr\ mtnior u ually fee ls rcspons,blc:, "1 mce-t any mate ria l ni.:C"ds of ~
your wild side.
You have a borromles uppl y of ammo hidden in variou
yo urs. hu1 hud )'ou'vc d<"'c1ded co rJkc emplnymen1 helping with library
researc h for" srncl)' .1 loca l co llege professo r, Leon Holme: . is doi ng in10 mn<" ·
tec.nt h•cc111u r)' womrn's mores. (You've go! io S1Qp giggling in the: li brar)',)
keep a king for mone y, and you' re wondering how much you
ca n bend thi s rime thing for extra cas h, without brea king the ....,
"'O
~
rules or disappo inring your menror.
spots aro und the wa rehouse. nly you know where rh cy all Pn va tcly, yo u've been wonde ring if 1hc N.1rc 1SM~b \l rt" as bad as 1ht:y'rc
m:1de ou l to Ix- tht•y seem to have wi ld1ws, clt)w n to an art . But yo L1r mcnl ur
Next rime a hi gher- pan Continuum person a ks for some
are.
gtlS mad c.-vcry lime )'Ou wam ro rn lk 10 rhe111 , ~n •o u ,lo wha r our mmht"r help, you' re go in g ro ask for rhar extra cash.
The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Co11stil11tio11 (179 I): "Th e smd to do. :tnd shur up. Yo u hared knive until Taro introduced you ro rhe kara na,
powers nor delegated to rhc United Srare by the
and now you a nd he pracri e whenever you can arrange ir.
Co nstitution , nor pro hi bi ted by it to rhe state , arc reserved
Hey, now tha t yo u th ink a bout ir, Taro's an ava ila ble man ...
ro the states respectively, o r ro the people."
~
I
0
u
Taro Matsushita
Society Un ired Srare Locality cl 990s Corner c 1990
Age 24y 8d Bom May 8, 1974 Frat n/a
SPAN I FRAG 0 B DY 4 MIND 4 QUICK 5
Benefir: Tough
Elvis Moore
Society United Srares Locality c I 990s Corner c1990s
Age 25y 45d Born Dec 8, 1978 Frat n/a
SPAN I FRAGO BODY 6 MIND 5 QUICK 5
Benefir: Perceptive Limit: Addicri on- ciggarerres
Tom Redsnake
Society Apache Locality c 1990s Com er c 1990
Age 28y 184d Born Jun 14, I 968 Frat n/a
SPAN I FRAG 0 BODY 5 MJND 4 QUI K 5
Bene.fir: Aptitude (Dreaming)
Skill/Anribu1dli1 le/Ra 1111g kiII/ Arrributeflit le/Rating SkilUAttributefritle/Rat ing
Unarmed Combat · Judo/B/Journeym an/6 Repair - Vehicle/M/Master/8 Drea ming/Q/Journeyman/7
Mclee - Karana/B/Journcy man/6 Mororcycle/Q/Apprentice/6 Art - Office De ign/Q/Journeyman/7
Arr - Filmmaking/Q/Journeyman/7 Mclee - Pipe/B/Apprcntice/7 Art - Dan ing/Q/A pprenrice/6
Langu age - Engli h/M/Apprenri ce/5 Hisrory - U.S. Sourh/M/Apprenricc/6 Religion - Apache/M/Apprenrice/5
(Narive Language - Japanese) lrems: Langua ge - Apache/M/Novice/4
lrem : Lea d Pipe, rools. Me lee - Knife/B/ Apprentice/6
Katana. 16 111111 amera, Japane e-English pocket dictionary. Wbat everyone k11ows about Elvis: Motorcycle Repairman, Items:
has his own small garage in central Jersey. Known for hating Knife, Painrcd stones, medici ne bag (worn around neck) .
What e11erya11c knows abo11t Taro: Yes, he knows marrial rhe King of Rock 'n Roll because he grew up being ceased Wh.11 e?'lfTYOltt. kfl OI VS about Tom: M.A. orn C" Design, olumb i:a Univtrsiry.
art , and even train people for cash. He's a profe sional for the name. Went on a long, per onal pilgrimage to the l.1Jm5 th1u ravCJ arC" '1hc onJy placrs people dream mu h anymore". Mis
s1unr man, but he's proude r of his work as an indie film Fifties ro tell Presley fans char he died far; The corner's men- gr.1ndmothc.r prophcsitd in a dream rhat he would visir h1 Apacbt an cstors,
direcror, which few of you have een, since it's all in tor evenrually went and told him to cut ir out. Likes Pink $0 aher hr lc1.1rned to span, he focu ssed on his skills 1
u drc;,ming.
Japane e. Floyd. Some of Tom's Pmmfl• Stu({:
Some of Ta ro's /Jfllldte st11ff.· . ome of Elvis· Private Stu/{: Your grandmoihcr was much spook1 r r ihan yo u've bcc-n celling 1>coplc. ht'
Your indie films are primaril y four shorrs and one hour- God you hare Elvis Presley, and you tell everyone. No kepi showing up 01 odd hours and giving yo u ~mull tribal art ifo ts li ke beads
and painrcd sroncs . .saying they hC'ld a power both quIc1 and grea t. You still
long masrerpi ccc built on footage you rook of native in the fewer rhan rhree Southern panners, one of th em have rhcm somewhere , bm you r sp:mnt'r rxpcri cncd have ca used you 10 rde-
Sourh Seas, which you dubbed over wirh weird narrarion in Confederare, have challenged you to duel ro defend his gn tr totenrn: objc-cn to 1hC' ba k drawer.
your narive ronguc. There are five lirerari in Tokyo who rhink honor, and when you' re high enough Span, th ey' ll be ready.
Your drea m) have been rc,•ca ling a gold hand, disembodied , pulling ar wh:n
you're rhe bomb, rhough you've summoned rhe courage ro So will you. mi ght be a suhrnarine harc h in dark waves, You're ll()t sure Hit's h:rnging on
110 1 span Up co find out if 1ha1 career rakes off. These people didn't have ro put up with rhe far jokes, rhe for sur vivn l, or if it w.1 ms to brea k i11, kill ing th e 5ubmarine's passengers. All
Rowena ha been s heduling more practice with you rhan grease tuck in their hair, and ceaseless choolyard narrering. the portholes h11vc crosses on th em.
yo u'd expecr. You ' re wondering if chi mea n you'll have to You had no middl e name, nowhere ro hide.
You nl"io ha\'t" ~n embJrrassing secret. Whil t" .11 oluml,i,,, hdorc you
rrounce Vinny for her or somerhing. You secrerl y swea r you'll pan inro Graceland thar fareful be :une a spanner, )'OU madC' exua buds as a hippendalc's dancer. You wo n-
day, and personally jam th e last fri ed peanut butter hoagie der how IL1ng rhi s cun possibly be kept from ynur hromes.
down rhar black-velver throat, and be the forher of a milli on
conspiracy theories.
You ca n fix anyrhing. Bike , cage , roofs, TVs, compurers
up through 2002. And one day- you will fix rhe Pre Icy.
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter IV: Mastering
Rick Zuwilinski
Society United States Locality cl990s Corner cl990s Society United States Locality cl 990s Corner cl 990s
Age 35y 18d Born Sep 19, 1972 Frat n/a (see below) Age 18y 251d Born Apr 1, 1980 Frat n/a
SPAN 1 FRAG O BODY 5 MIND 5 QUlCK 5 SPAN 1 FRAG O BODY 3 M IND 4 QUICK 6
Benefit: Math Wiz Benefit: ContortionistfDouble-Jointed
Skill/Arrribureffit le/Rating Skill/Arrributeffitle/Rating
Unarmed Combat - Boxing/B/Apprentice/6 Art - Animal Husbaodry/Q/Journeyman/8
Car/Q/Novice/5 Vehicle - Carriage/QI Apprentice/7
Light Aircraft/Q/Novice/5 History - Medieval England/M/Novice/5
Language - Spanish/M/No ice/5 History - Industrial Age Transport/M/Novice/4
Professional Skill - Fioance/M/Journeyman/7 Melee Combat - Horsewhip/B/Appremice/4
Religion - Mormon/M/Apprenrice/5 Stealth/B/Novice/3
Ma the ma tics/Ml Apprentice/6 Items:
Items: Latest PC, Personal planner book , Pager, New Hor ewhip, Map of the City.
Testa ment, Book of Mormon
\Vhat everyo11e k11ows abow Lllke: Has a religiou bent, and is a worka- What everyone knows about Rick: City buggy driver.
holic futures broker:, with fanatica l honesry. Well, Ort of. Luke' a Loves horses, loves carriages. Wants to span down to
Mormon with six wiv , and only rwo actually are aware of ea h othec. where there are lots of them. Rick can almost talk to ani-
Plu , be claims he has rwenry-more in bi Yer. Packs a wicked punch, too. mals, and when he was a teen leveller, he picked the locks
on the cages in the City Zoo monkey house, a.nd let them
ome of Lukes prwllte stuff:
You find nothing dis honest in having multiple wives. A spanner ha a
roam the backrooms. In fact, you know the week it hap-
wider per pecrive on things, and there is plenty of spacerime where pens, and some of you want to go watch and tease him.
polyga my i the norm . You chea t on none of th em, and are ready with help-
ful advice to diss uade your chronics considering extra- o r premarital affa irs.
You never use the in fo rm ation you have to influence you r advice and Some of Ricks private stuff:
purchases at work . You intend your service to the Conti nuum to be sea m- Frankly, you're not sure how you managed to get out of
less in th is regard, and rhe Mo neychangers' Fraterniry seems impre sed-
you have every expectation of joining them one day. the Monkey House without going to juvenile hall. You
You spend over twelve hours of every week of your Age practicing box- remember a bunch of people showing up and helping yo u
ing a t va rio us gym . get the monkeys corralled. they all seemed to know you
The wives:
Salt Lake Ciry-
somehow, and then as soon as it was done, they mysteri-
Gail- the onl y wife rh e sec retaries at work know about. She covers for: ously disappeared whi le your back was turned. Since you
Elena- who is devoted to Luke, and had the first child of thi famil y, became a spanner, yo u believe it's the Continuum helping
Michael, ia 1990. out. Latel y, you're believing it's been in your Yet to
(The rest rely on epa rate pager number to contact yo u. You always return
their ca lls within econd .) arrange the monkey-hou e cleanup yourself.
Moris ene- (Chicago) You're looking for a few good men who are brave
Mindy- ( e Orleans) enough to wrestle a gorilla back into his pen. But you' re
Lona- ( lexico Ciry) - three chi ldren, Eduardo (b. 1986), Lona (b. J 98 ),
and Consuela (b. 1989).
wondering how to breach the subject delicatel y to yo ur
Ka i Li- (Hong Kong) &iends.
Your hope is th at Deseret (the Mormon terrestrial kingdom later incor-
porated as the state of Utah) is recognized as a Society. You haven 't pursued
the information, waiting insread until yo u' re higher pa n. Plus, yo u' re a
busy family man; rime enough for politics later.
The Continuum has had nothing to say to you about your life ryle, good
or bad, apart from the srrong hint that rwenry wives awair you over fifry
yea r Down in the past. Your mentor ha said hi per onal opinion is you 're
headed for uouble- nor Frag, bur uouble.
0
::.;
Chapter V: KnowinM
' -~~- ow do you know it'll be over?"
Connie asked. "Do you expect to
win soon?"
"Win? It comes in spurts."
Luciente made a face over her shoulder.
"Like sun spots."
-Marge Piercy
Woman on the Edge of Time
AD 1976
History as Battlefield
• Early Civilizations- what one
knows, or is expected to learn
• A glimpse of distant Eras- and
the battles awaiting us there
Sagittarian Era
The Eras C. 18000 - 16000 BC
The symbo ls of rhe zodiac eras are o n ppg. 3 -9. ..Thar·s where the next great discoveri es will be made. When we ha ve the
Ti111 eli11es of N otable Evems- Th ese event are exa mpl e on ly; their listing techno logy ro look under the sa nds, we' ll find it, under rhe Sahara . .,
does no r neces aril y impl y preeminent impo rtance. -Dr. Harry Shapiro, American M useum of atural Hisrory
in private conversa tion wi th rhe authors, AD 1985.
Antedesertium and the Societies at War
War mu r have clear objectives, or the people asked to The earth's axis is not where it is in Societal times. The
fight it will become confused, lose hea rt, o r both. A war north pole is over what will one day be Hudson's Ba y, and
among spa nn ers has a different price: It has no beginning the south pole is over what will one day be the southern
or end, but many battlefields. India n Ocean. These changes are all legacies of narcissist
The Continuum's war ai ms are plain: Saving all humanity furor.
thro ughout the universe. The Continuum's victory is also Only a few events are a bsolutel y certain. These are
plain: The Societies lead to the Inheritors. But narcissists
lynchpins of life in Antedesertium, a nd whi le some of the
events a re loathsome, they are little worse than leveller
oppo,ite pag~
Adamus Xrno bus, (b. AD 148 )
atrocities of our own civilization. Some are listed below.
Tempus Alltt- Dcs~rtittm See also ppg. 136-7 for further information on the
ink on parchmen1 Sagittarians.
Scribal Librarium :1 1 leroe
AD 9
BC
'Levellers are advised rhar rhis is a fal ified hi rory for u e with the c°NnNuuM 17997 Taydar founded with human acrifice
ro leplaying game, and sho uld regard it neither as prophetic nor genuine in 17862 War Among Kings; Phen Wasieima besieged; Societies secure advantage
any way. Evenr lisrings that follow are deliberatel y inaccurate before 664 BC 17853 Level figh ting called to bait; The Binding Chart sign ed by the
and afrer AD 1999, bur a.re perfectly acceptable for u e within the game. Seven ty Kings.
1763 7 Nir Modent, 9th King, decla res himself the " only required person in
' Nore that a conracr from Tororo Bo rhe wishes to point o ur that the fo rego- his territory"
ing pre enrs a very skewed picture of life in his rimes, and says that much 17224 The pleasures of the cities of G'Oronus at their height
more cultu ra l emphas is is placed on baking honey bread especially late on, J 712 8 The Mockers drive Khe bet Tel, 67th King, from his throne
and the method of dress ing animals for the cab le. "The elabo rate rituals, 17 11 7 Mocker democracy collapses
symbolizing beast coming to the fea st, ripping themselves open, spewing 16343 Hawas a leads the Murdering in the homes of Ganamazet
their cooked 0e h inro rhe lap-bowls of the hosts and guests is one of our 16221 Bartles of Lake Gwa. Societal incursion turned back with massive
most colo rful and celebrated traditions. " Conract Gibra o f Odera for visi t- losses to Amedeserrium
ing information. 160 0 Assembly of the Sixteen
Chapter V: Knowing C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Three of the mo t nota ble Kings: and da mage contro l that they are next to impossible to
frag- unl e s they want yo u to, a nd it' certainJy a trap of
Berne Rebu, rhe Fir r King ome kind.
P 10+ BODY MI D QUICK 12 And as if these stats were nor terrifying enough, each
Dreaming G 16+ Burea u ra y. Antedesertium G 13+ Telepa rhy A9+ u ually wie lds 20 o r more Ves el (of Frag 8 -10 ).
Telekinesi M 11 + Orher Aqua ria n Skill G J 2
If any one king is generall y een as the lea der of a ll l ) Two-Horned Worm
Anredesertium, iris Berne of aBant. He sees many event m SPAN 12+ BODY 35 M IND 30 QU IC K 32
his life, and of all rhe seventy kings seems ro have rhe Telepathy G50 Telekincsi G55 Other Aq uaria n Ski ll s G50
Th is Scorpiocl is mosr often seen as a vase wo rm o r waterspout, w ith o ne
mosr respect for one's Yet. Bur in rhe surround of Ante- or rwo smaller tornadoes being sucked i11to its head . The Worm i di tincrly
desertium , thi becomes sma ll comfort. male. howe er, and is known ro manifest a a mighty warrior-king, or
gia nt, but rnrely anyrhing non-huma n, besides the worm-form ir elf.
Hawassa, Seer of Rekedan the Si xteenth King
P. 9+ BODY 6 MIND 9 QUICK 12 2 ) Dome-and-Mirror
Dreaming G 16+ Bureaucra y, Anredesenium G 13+ Telepathy JI I+ SPA 10 + BODY 98 M IND 8 QUICK 25
Telekinesis G 13+ Clai rvoya nce G 16+ Ocher Aquarian Skills G l2 Telepathy G25 Telek inesi G38 Ot her Aquarian Skills GSpecial
She is believed ro be Berne's grea test opponent, holding As things approach Do me, rhcy become beautiful. Bea utiful by Dome's
tanda rds, which are wharever rhey are th at momenr.
a grudge again r him from the earliest time of her life,
Dome·s Body Arrribute is u ed co calculate rhe 'Ocher Aquarian Skills'
until her spectacular demise. The cause is believed co be instead o f Mind; Dome's ma s is exceedingly dense, and she spa n only
eirher his approval of crea ring rhe Seven and the Six teen, rarely. She is so powerfully influenced by her physicality thar its urges
or his lack of leader hip against the Societies and the ceaseless ly rea rrange the marrer aro und her, somerimes up to several miles
ou r from her consciou ne s. In facr he is ha rd to comm unicare with, a
lnheri ror · probabl y bo rh . me ages entering her hea ring range are modified ro something highl y pleas-
ant by the rime her con ciou ness ca n understand them. Mercifu ll y, lo ng-
T chonch Ri, the Fifty-fourth King term srraregy and even memo ry is nea rly impossible for Do me to maintain.
PA 7+ BODY 5 MI D 8 QUJ C K 11
Dreaming G 12+ Bureaucracy, Anredeserrium M 11 + Telepathy A9 3) No Eyes
Telekine i M 11 Orher Aqua rian Skill G 12 SPAN 10+ BODY 15 J\'1IN D 35 QUI K 25
As king of Ulkra , he contro ls few people, bur much of Telepathy G40 Telekinesis G40 Other Aquarian Skills (G35)
the vast material resources of Eurasia . Ir is chi individual This being rarely even ha a nose, mo uth or ears, but besides the mooth ,
fe.arureless face a ppea rs otherwi se human. Having deliberately curtai led his
ch ar the Moneychangers and Anriquarians must plot input from the physica l world, his Mind has arranged and rea rranged
agai nst, lest he rob the ea rth of its wealth before its time. events even as he designs them. and he has the strengt h ro enfo rce these
events he imagines.
4 ) Eight-Stars-In-A-Disc
Scorpiod Era P 10+ BODY 18 MIND 25 QU I K 39
C. 16000 - 14000 BC Telepathy G29 Telekine is G30 Other Aquarian Skills G45
Accurate hj torv for this era i difficult co obtain as the This Scorpiod is known for her abi lity to absorb energy, even all known
Wa r is pro ecuted ·througho ut, and the Seven a re alway forms of narural paradox. le is said she is so aware of causality ac all times
that she can frag an opponent out well before he's decided to arrack her.
d isseminating rumors of false or changeabl e timeline Trea r this as being able to defend, resear h arrack and attack again at full
srrength, for eight Sweeps to each Sweep her opponents ger in Tune Combat.
See also ppg. 137-8 for furth er information on the Her name comes fro m her appea rance as a wheel of eigh t srars, wob-
Scorpiod. blin g madly, from which she makes pro no uncements, usually of a marti al
narure. On rhe rare occasions she ap pear as a human, she is a tall hand-
ome African woman who never smi les o r speaks, but gives every im pres-
BC sio n of intently liste11ing.
80 Lasr of rhe eventy Kings departs Down .
15"40The Wbi pering Land in full blossom .
15628 Arlanris' main assault degrades che Seven's capacity to make crashers. 5) Shadowa ngle
15430 Eight- tars capture important Inh eritor tech SPAN 8+ BODY O MlND 40 QUJC K 22
I ·32 1 Cities are moved; rhis i trea red as a ga me. Telepa thy G44 Telekine is G50 Other Aquarian Ski ll (G20)
I ·2s I The Plague of the Mark; harp po pulation decrease follows unaba ted Shadowangle appea rs only as a deep fo ld o r crea e in pacerime, va rying
15006 Limited-existence crashers are made in large numbers berween abour six inches ro several miles in length, a nd u ua.lly a bout a
14924 Two-Ho rned Worm stretches co reach Luna tench as wide a its length. An y object that fall s into, or even touches
14440 Experimencs to grow levellers ada pted to freshwater lakes Shadowangle is gone; people va nish, spanners meet rhe end of their Yecs. Its
14230 Radiarion barrie r at their mo c viru lent appea rance is accompanied by a noticeable sucking sonnd, as it consumes
14 107 Main Scorpiod magnetic barrier; Quick 16+ requi red co cross the atmosphere it pas e through.
Ir communicates telepath ica ll y, in the form of creating neurons in a per-
son's memory centers so rhar che person reca lls conversing with ir, bur can't
It is known chat spanning into the Scorpiod is highly determine when. Repea ted exposure co this th ing's influence is certain to
dangerous, as the Seven throw their collective weight pla y havoc with one's perceptio n of rea lity, memory, and gene ra l menta l
around to make their spacetime as unpalatable a place to well-being. It often drives spanners ma d enough to frag themselves, by this
materialize as possible. Vast amounts of 'natu.ral' frag are process o f fo rce-feeding memories.
kicked up, and th.is beyond most other actions is the most
6) The Welcome One
frequent way loya l spanners meet their end in
SPAN 8+ BODY 15 M I D 25 QUI C K 28
An tedeserti um. Telepathy G55 Telekinesis G29 Orher Aqnarian SkiUs G30
The most insidious of the Seven, The Welcome One is able to ca ke any
form, and ca n crea te illusions within and witho ur a person's mind with
The Seven ea e. The Welcome One always is true ro his name; no marrer what atrocity
The Seven are rarely na med, but each has a distinct per- o r nightm are he arrives to crea te, he is always remembered with fondness.
sonality. References to them as "the Seven Deadly Sins" Worst, an initial approach by The Welcome One is almost never no ticed.
are purely late Piscean black humor: They are each quite Even afrer a short period of exposure co bim , a person comes to rega rd him
adept at all the seven sins. as an o ld and trusred friend .
Meeting one of the Seven is rarely a goal of even the
most well-equipped band of spanner commandos. These
narci ssists have so finely honed their craft of subterfuge
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter V: Knowing
7) SunRender Frag 8 Vessels
SP 8+ BODY 19 , UND 20 QUIC K 27 Most span ners at Frag 8 are till too hopefu l to become
Telepathy G24 Telekinesis G25 Other Aqua ri an Ski lls G24
Generally con idered ro be the d ark manipulator behin I rhe Hunt of the
an o bj ect fo r anorher's use. The wielder may find the vessel
Su n that co nsumes leveller imagi nation in rhe Ca ncerean and Gemi nid Eras. hard to keep hold of (i.e. bracelets fa ll off, rings roll away
As the na me implie • hi s main cause is ro desrroy rh e un be fo re rhe when set down, etc.) But if the Vessel has existed for mo re
Societies can fl ouri h beneath it. !See ance rean Era , pg. 2081 than LOO yea rs of Age it can never be healed above Frag 8.
Too much of the rest of the fragged spanner has fo und
The Sixteen other parts of the uni verse to be afte r that stage .
The Sixteen a re Scorpiod big hots; they are behind Grants no bonuses to score , but can pena lize o ne
many of the most successfu l attacks of the Gemi nid a nd Attribute o r Skill score of a target within sight, by concen-
other Societa l Era trating, fo r -1.
TYPICAL STATS
PA 7 FRAG I + Frag 9 Vessels
BODY 9+ MIND 16~ QUICK 17+
Telepath y G20 Telekinesis G20 Orher Aquarian Skills G20 Grants +1 to one or more Attributes or Skills cores, and
They will al o how a onsumma re command of any common and profes- can equa lly penalize one Attribute or Skill score of any target
siona l Ski lls o f the Era in which they have infiltrated, at Master rating or higher. within 1000 miles, Level time, or any target engaged with its
Wield 7 or more Vessels (of Frag 8 - I 0). wielder in Time Combat, wherever they are in spacetime.
Frag 9 Vessels also has best chance of avoiding fr ag. ff
Note that the Sixteen are sa id to become the Seven after
fragged, it may make a Mind score; success mea ns the frag
attacks into the Societies. Mo t o f the Sixteen a rtac k the
is passed to the spa nner (that tried ) causing it, at the sa me
Societies in the most insidious way possible: posin g as
as/as not.
ordinary levellers.
These deep-cover master na rcis ists onl y ra rely attempt
Frag 10 Vessels
to pass as loya l spa nners- their u ua l mode o f attack is to
Grants +2 to one or more Attributes or Skills scores, and
pose as a leveller, complete with histo ry and records, if fea-
can equaJly penalize one or more Attribute or Skill score of
ible, and li ve the life of a successful member of a Society.
any target on Ea rth within 1000 years, or any ta rget in Time
T hey believe being sufficientl y high profile protects them
Combat, as above.
from easy recogniti on or attack .
Vessels o f this grea t a Frag have a range of curses they
They ga ther onl y a very few and able narcissists to them,
ca n inflict, as fo llows:
and never revea l all rheir intentions or identity, even to them.
This insures their a bili ty to secretl y man ipulate and control Disease- usua ll y incurable withou t Aq uaria n tech
the every movement of lives of the individuals they delude. Wounding- I IP per bout, perha ps more, to a ta rget wit hin range stated above
Of course, narcissists that hold drea ms confined to this uni- Mindmelring- Ca n be a menta l disorder, physica l breakdown of rhe brain,
o r both
verse, o ften hope to actually become one of rhe Seven. Frag- Some o f the wor I lash ou r at the universe irself, and can cause frag
Determining which such Scorpiod (or Sagittarian) a narcissist even a r a disran c from the as/as nor. The e heinous devices a re the ones
admires most is a good way to pred ict his intents and actions. mo t o ugh t by Quicker for containment.
Creating Vessels
Some Vessels are si mpl y born , the product o f a decayed Libran Era
span ner fragged beyond Frag 7. Others a re made by nar- C. 14000 - 12000 BC
cissists using tech scavenged o r copied from designs o f
Conta iner used by the Qu icker [see p. J 70]. The Collapse of Antedesertium
The fragile bonds ho lding the Seven Scorpiod sna p, as
Wielding Vess els each tries to make Earth into their own private rea lity. The
A Vessel's bonuses to Attributes or SkiJls are granted Contin uum does a ll it can to protect and resc ue fragile
whenever carried, or whenever special conditions are met mankind in this time, but the ra pacity of the Seven is liter-
(i.e. rubbing the lamp, casting the bones, spea king cenain all y unlike a nything you imagine- because they do all the
wo rds, waving the wand, etc.) Usually these events have sig- imagi ning there. Even a leveller's sca nt sentient force
nifica nce to something in the fra gged spanner's former life. comes to be bitterl y resented; the result is an Earth owned
w holly by seven swollen dev ils.
Destroying Vessels It should come as no surprise to lea rn that once they
There are two methods: Hea l the fragged spanner that believe they control all li fe on the planer, they turn aga inst
powers the Vessel (generally prohibited under the Fifth one another. This tita nic shredding of causality is ca lled
Maxim, and possible only wi thin certain limits [see below)) the Great As ot, a nd the Continuum sends countless lives
or frag the Vessel o ut. (Beyond Frag 11 , the spanner is out in to rescue mankind from thi s w reck.
of the game, and the object ma y or may not disintegrate
with him.) This latter is haza rdous, because the unluckiness Interregnum
these things radiate will automatically fall against anyone (1 355 7 - 12969 BC)
attempting to increase the frag of the Vessel. Breaking the Thi s a rea of spacetime is too wild for any civi lization
physical object may work, or it may prove in va in: the to cla im. It's most notable feature is a tilting of the Earth's
Vessel's Yet still holds it, and Vessels have been known to axis and an a lteration in its rotation in 13274 BC. But this
reassemble, even from ashes, if their Frag is below 11. As is also the ugliest battlefield , as the twisting, waning Seven
objects, unable to Span, they are not affected by accidental engage engage every spanner that defies their will in Time
para dox [see p. 54] o nJ y deli berate or natural. Combat a fter Time Combat.
Chapter V: Knowing C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
Atlantis
I mile 16.2 miles Basic Overview
Ke)' to Atlan/15 diagram:
Atlantis is a ciry, but it is also a war machine: A stagi ng
1 Inner rings, from inside out: Counci l Temple, Inner Harbo r, Second Ring, area from which attacks may be launched, and troops can
e.:ond H ar bor, Third Ring. be marshalled. Its fabled pos iti on near the African coast
2 Grear Harbo r: ca n hold water in tran it; docks also hold ai r & spa ecraft. a nd its lon_g-term existence in the Libran Era are strategic
3 rear Cana l, for watercraft (en losed; empties for transit); bridges over harbors. consid eratio ns. There are smaller versions o f Atlantis at
4 Gre,ner iry. mo rly residential and maJrnfacture
the disposa l of the Societies, a nd are often under the com-
a) ursery: \Xlhere .M,dwi,·es raise orphan spanner children
b) The H spice: Joint Quicker and Physi i.m establish ment co hea l vererans mand of Exa lted of high Span.
c) Tr,1de di tri t : Antiquarian and Moneychangers The GM may decide to move Atlanti , but sho uld only
d ) 'Old Berm': Foxboro marshalling fa iliry; otbers on the Third Ring do so rarely, as the populati on a lways debates the move,
e) The Great Librarium often fo r yea rs before setting a date to move the city, sever-
Outer defense perimeter: various energy hields and proje tor , ~, well as a l more years farth er Up.
expl ive projecrjJes, and ocher weapon .
' The spanning method o utlined on pg. 174 is a fictional. though not urre rl y
impla usible, mea ns of time travel.
' Eerily, one author remembers precisely where he was and wha t he was
doing when he firsr heard about it in 1974.
Chapter VI: Deta Is
"
~~~_ 11
I
right! All right! Take your damn
chicken puppet. I'll have it back before you
know it, anyway."
-Kevin Murphy as Tom Servo,
Mystery Science Theatre 3000,
AD 1998.
Appendix C.
Counting the Days
Calendars for use in pla ying C0 TINUU M.
Each year has a corresponding letter; this letter is the day of the week upon which Sunday falls. This system allows for only
two calendars having to be kept, one for standard years, one for leap years. Leap years are listed in bold face; part of Gregory's
reformation was to skip leap years thrice every 400 years, as demonstrated below.
The small numbers listed in each day of the calendars are for use with the c 2NTINUUM RPG . The one on the left repre- [:]
sents days past, the one on the right, days remaining. These are calibrated for use on the Span cards. Thus, by simple 1
addition or subtraction, one can determine the day one arrives at ("I go Down 56 days from September 18, how far is o 364
that?" "September 18 is Day 260 minus 56 is 204- that's July 241") or how many days away a date is ("I'm going Up to
December 20 from March 12, what's it cost me?" "12/20 is day 353, and March 12 is day 70 ... 353 - 70 is 283 days.") Add togeth-
er days remaining and days past whenever crossing January 1, and watch those Leap Years...
"The unique ca.lendar of 1582. and lhe calendar adopted by Britain 1752 are available online al our website: www.aetherco.com/continuum/scenarios/
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter VI: Details
Gregorian AD 1854-2222
MARCH APRIL
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER
JUNE
NOVEMBER DECEMBER
T
JANUARY ~ FEBRUARY
.-::::I--==~--=-----=-==-:--:--===-•
JULY I
,---------,
AUGUST
A B C D E
~(:Ju~u~Q [:Ju[:][:J[:][:]D
[:J[J~~[s:J~~ [:J~~~~~~
~~~~~~[EJ ~~[:]~~~~
F G D E F G A B C
i
..~
~e:J~e:J~~e:J ~e:Je:J~~E]~
~~~ ~
MARCH I p: APRIL - SEPT-mBER ~
GAB CD E F BCD E F GA
I.~.JI~ ...II~ ..I ~ , . I ~JI~ , .I~, .I I.~. ..II~ J~ . I ~J~ .,11~ ..I ~..I
[:][J~~~~E:J [:](:]~~~~~
~~[:]~~~~ ~~~~~~~
~~~~e:JE]~ ~eJ~~e:JE]~
~~ ~~~
...__ _____ _____,
I NOVEMBER -
C D E F G A B F G A B C D E
E F G A B C D G
G A
A B
B C
C D
D E
E F
F
I.~.JI~ ., I ~JI! ... I ~.J~ ,J~ . .I I.! .J~, , I ~JI~ . . I ~ 11~ JI~J 200
[J[:][J[:][:][:J(J [:J[:][:J[:]EJ[:J(J
[:][:]~~[E:]~~ [:][:]~~[E:]~~ [:][:]~~~~~ [J[:]~~~[EJ~
I.!5.JI.!s.J.~,7.J,!s,J,!9Jl~o.J~1... I I.!s.. 11.~,s.. l .!7Jl.~.s.. l .~.9Jl~o.~11~1,.,1 ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~E]~ eJ~[E]~~~eJ
~~~ ~~
...__ _____, _____ ~~ ~~~
....___ _____, _____
Leap Years Leap Years
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
M T W T F S S T F S S M T W T F S S M T W
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 29 30 31
CºNTINUUM™
Perpetual Gregorian Calendar
AD 1582
Catholic Societies
355-day Standard Year - Ten Days Removed From October
CºNTINUUM™ is a trademark of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game.
Copyright ©1998, 1999 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. World Rights Reserved.
D
1
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
W T F S S M T S S M T W T F S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 29 29 30 31
CºNTINUUM™
Perpetual Gregorian Calendar
AD 1752
Britain
355-day Leap Year - Eleven Days Removed From September
CºNTINUUM™ is a trademark of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game.
Copyright ©1998, 1999 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. World Rights Reserved.
D
2
Chapter VI: Details C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
fo r points and Fives and above are extremely hard ro get involved.
Appendix G. Rules to Additionally, )'OU may spend one point of each roll on levellers {Span
Zeros). T hese are rolled separately on a d! 0, and must be from an area
Simulate the 'Greatest Game' wirhin ninety days travelling disra nce of tbe ra rget. Levellers ca nnot be
hired unril the Rou nd AFTER you a re fi rst acti ve.
Levellers may be wondering what thjs 'G reatest Game' i· , and what Any spanners of Span O ne and Two may be rolled ove r ro the next
round , and added to your total points. In any cases when you are roleplay-
makes it so grea1, anyway. As an experimenr, the Continuum has asked us
ing an adventure to stake a cl aim, spa nners must be at Z ero Fra g befo re
10 incl ude rud imenrn ry rules for playing the Game as a ki nd of vast boa rd
o r parlo r game. We invite everyone int erested in this un iq ue revisiting and co ntinu ing to the next Ro und .
If, by Ro und even, your character isn't acti ve, any roll of 1-3 lets him
mea urement of history to experiment with these rules. and sen d us your
feedbac k ar: rimekeeper@aetherco. o m. enter rhe Ga me, but he ca nnot make dec isions unril the next Ro und . Any
pa n Fo ur nor in the Ga me by Round Seven ma)' not enrer it. O nce you
The best question and commenrs wi ll be compiled a a FAQ of our web-
have entered the Grea test Ga me, you ma)' pl ace yourself anywhere on Ea rth
ire www.aerherco.com/conrin uum/
within the boundaries of the Societies ( 12969 BC - AD 2200).
The Rules (v. 1.0)
C) Move a ll hires to new claims
The Atlanrean Councils have et certain ru les fo r the Greatest Grune, to
At this poi nt , you must place your hires and have them make their
assure that wha t is. is, and wi ll always be, while allowing gain of territory
claims. A new spanner hire may be placed anywhere within 500 yea rs Up,
and prestige fo r Span ner resourceful enough to attain them. The fo llowing
and 500 yea r Down of your own Span Four character, BEFO RE you move
si mulates the rules q uite succinctly for use with the Nll U M RPG:
this Ro und.
a) No violence against fellow Continuum spanners. Phy ica l violence In order fo r a claim ro be legitimate, there must be at least one leveller
aga inst a spa nner disqua lifies a claim . Fragging any o pponenr gets you of the Society present in the area clai med, as well as a spanner wirness.
tossed from the Ga me. Levellers are pawns, and ph ysica l pain may be their Such claims can be made by o ne of three means, as stared in the rules set
lot, but they must not be fragged. down by the Atlanrean Councils:
i) Crown (who govern )
b) Sociera.l rurf can be claimed by o ne or more of the following, but ii ) Culture (way of life held in common )
req uires at least one leveller o f the Society present in the area claimed, as iii) Blood (generics)
well as a spann er wimess. Abandoned or empty lands cannot be claimed by spanners alo ne.
i) Crown (who governs the territory) (Hence the ve r y neutra l nature of the Virgin Era.)
ii) Culture (way of ljfe held in common, from art 10 religion) lo ea rl y rounds. making sweep ing claims of territory is fine; it will ger
iii) Blood (generics a nd heredity) aled down by the Atlantean Counci l , bur it will set the stage for later
c) You may only play the Grea test Game once. The Atlantean Counci ls la ims. Your claims are not announced at this time.
consider the Greatest Ga me a benchmark of res po ns ibility, a nd you o nl y Areas unclaimed by any Society at the end of the Ga me are under the
have o ne chance to prove that you are worth y of becoming Span Five. prorection of the Atlanrea n Councils.
d ) you may only submit o ne claim to the Atlantean Councils per Spanner - Allowable Moves
you have hired per ro und. Hired spanners and levellers may move according ro the following table
For purposes of 1his game, you are considered to have won the Grea test This portion o f the Greatest Ga me is best for roleplaying, either as your
Ga me when you have gained 200 points. T his num ber is an abstract repre- Span Fo ur character, or ta king the part of o ne of your hires, be they leveller
sentation of the kill needed to ga ther a lli es and perform all the necessa ry or Spanner. Here, pl ayers can see what actua l Spanners deal with in their
dairn , as well as the actual judgment of the Atlam ea n Councils. While struggle ro assure that their Socieries exis1, and perhaps lea rn a bir mo re
there are 11 7 ro unds to the Grea test Game (corresponding to the 11 7 ses- abo ut the srruggle faced by Spanner and Leveller alike.
sions of the Atlantean Councils), you will fi nd that you need fa r less rounds -Types of Claims
to ga m er 200 point .
T here are three types of claims: a origi nal capture, a negotia ted conces-
What is needed fo r the Grea test Game: sion, and media ted ca pture. An origi nal capture is a new claim, such as
A d l0 Roa noke, Virginia in the 1600's, or any place which is unsettled or uncon-
One Spanne.r of at lea t Span Four fo r ea h player tested. A negotia ted concession i a claim agreed upon by parr.ies during
Copie of Grea test Game sheet (on.li ne at www.aetherco.com/continuum/) Phase F; such claim norma ll y include areas that ca n legitimately be cl aimed
A library of good history texts, preferably in luding: by more rhan one ociery thro ugh different means. An exa mple of this is
a good hisrorica l atlas ew York City; while by Crown, the United States Society ca n claim it,
an accura te rimel ine there is such a wide diversity of cultures and blood within it that many
other Societies could lay partial claim to it.
Phases of a Ro und : The mediated caprure rakes place when the Adam ea n Councils must
AJ Roll one d IO fo r points make a decision rega rding a claim, norma ll y reducing it in size. An exa m-
B) pend poi nrs, openl y decla re new hires ple wo uld be a British Spanner claiming all of Africa from l000 to 2000
C) Move all hires ro new claims AD; the British did not get to Africa until the I 800's, and much of it was
D) Tum in report to Atlaoceao Council stiU unexplored at rhe rime. As well , the United States has a solid cl aim on
E) GM Mediates; rerurns resul ts & poin t Liberia by virrue of Culture (take a look at tbe Li beria n Aag for one of
F) Bargaining pha e between player many exa mpl es). In this case, The Arlantean Councils (the GM) wou ld be
fully justified to cut this cla im down ro size, at least until the Spanner
An explanation of each phase: arranged fo r some Leveller explorers.
A) Roll one d IO fo r poiats
This is ro determine 1he effect ive resources tha t your Society has at the D) Turn in report ro Adantean o uncils
time, and thus rhe resources you may u e fo r the Grea test Game. Here, you fill o ur the Grea te t Ga me sheer a nd hand it to the GM, who
will go over it in the role of the Adantean Counci ls. Here, Spanners may
B) Spend poim s, openly declare new hires
choose ro honor or ignore any dea ls they have made with other Spanners
Yo u must first spend points equal to your Span to enter the Greatest
rega rding negotiated concessions.
Game yourself! Failure to roll at least your Span mea ns your Society does-
n't have the resources to provide for your activities yet. Yo u may use E) GM Mediates; returns results & poi nts
unspent point to hire other span ners. but they can't be placed or senr off The GM wiU give you tbe decisions of tbe Atlantean Counci l concerning
to any claims unless your character has enrered the game on rh i or a previ- your claims, as well as your poinrs. In the case o f a original capture, the
ous round. resul ts are not an nounced' Leave ir fo r the Spanner who tries to gra b ir in
Each point you have remaining corresponds to a level of pan you may a later ro und to find o ur the error of his ways ...
try to employ this ro un d. For example, with 4 poinrs left over, )' OU may
artempt to bire 2 Span Twos, or r,=======:::':"'=============================================;i
4 Spa n O nes, o r a Span One Your Pieces
and a Spa n One, or any combi- Span Range Claimed #Rounds active Can move ... miles/ years
narion that wou ld add up to
four. Span Twos tend to be the 0 lOm.i . (lifespan) l n/a (90 da y journey from origin)
mosr fa milia r with the loca liry 1 1 mi. 1 an y # 10 years, 100 miles
and the most ava ilable and 2 10 mi 10 a ny # 100 years, 1000 miles
agile: Threes are often busy
with th eir corn ers and ca nnot
3 100 mi 100 2 500 years, anywhere
stay involved as long, Fours are 4 1000 mi 1000 1 (exc yourself) anywhen
usually competing against you 5+ 10,000 mi spec. 1 anywhen
CºNTINUUM ™
The points rolled in Phase A of each Round are Hiring Points. These are all spent on Phase B.
The points assigned in Phase E by the GM are Victory Points. These accumulate (or decline) each Round, and
determine who wins.
The two kinds of points are entirely separate, and do not directly affect one another. Our apologies for not
being more clear about that in the book.
If two players attain 200 or more Victory Points on the same Round, the one with the highest number wins.
Optionally, all players can play out all 117 Rounds of the Game, and the one with the most Victory Points
wins.
—CHRIS ADAMS
29 SEPTEMBER AD 1999.
CºNTINUUM™, SPAN™, THE YET™ and the hand-and-watch logo are trademarks of Ætherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. World rights reserved. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only.
CºNTINUUM
~
™
'
Original Negotiated Mediated Crown Culture Blood (as awarded by the GM)
I --.
r-,,...,..
.....
For complete rules to simulate the Greatest Game, see CºNTINUUM ppg. 218-9. Total Victory Points earned this Round
CºNTINUUM™, SPAN™, THE YET™ and the hand-and-watch logo are trademarks of Ætherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. World rights reserved. Permission granted to photocopy for personal use only. /
C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter VI: Details
if your results are verified by the Atlantea11 Coun cil
3 points awarded for every o rigina l capture of s pacerime
2 points awarded for every negotia ted concession of spacerime
Appendix R.
l point awarded for every capture of spacetime mediated by the Council (GM)
Bibliography & Review
If your resi,lts are rejected (ie co11flicti11g result approved by a previous Council)
-1 points for fai lure
-5 points fo r a ny falsification , and you a re auromaticall y removed from rhe CAUTION: CONTAINS SPO ILERS FO R MANY BOOKS AND MOVCES.
Greatest Game. Bur we spa nners ca n ha ndle rha t, ca n't we' O pini ons expressed in rhis bibli-
Point bonuses: ography are entirely rhose of rhe leveller a uchors, and do nor necessarily
For each Spa n One you have hired rhis round + 1 For eac h reflect those o f the Continuum.
Span Two yo u have hired this ro und +2
Using a Spa n Four other rhan yourself ro make a claim +] O ur bib liogra ph y is broken into "lnspiration " and "Reference":
Using an Exalted (Span 5 o r above) to make a claim -1
Roleplaying of Phase C 0 to +3 Inspiration
F) Bargaining phase between players -Fiction (alphabetical by artist)
Here, Spa nners can make dea ls a nd agreements for next rou nd, but nor Anderson, Poul. There Will Be Time.
bound to keep a ny promise not s ubmirted to the Cou ncils. New York: Signer, 1973.
One o f the few 20th Century novels involving people time tra velling a r will.
Examples of Play
The travellers in rbe book spend m ost o f thei r li ves finding each other, a nd
Radia ting Up but no t Down: There will be rimes where a Spanner wi ll
rhe rest o f their lives gerring barel y organized. Bur a good read . Like ma ny
place himself a t the sta rt of a Sociery's territory a nd adva nce upwa rd, per-
of Anderson's ti me stories, the travellers decide to retire ro the future, where
ha ps to avoid a contested claim o r concess io n to someone of lower Span .
going into space is possi ble.
Ca re musr be taken, since the technica l sta rt of a Sociery's territory may still
not be practica l. Burroughs, Edgar Rice. At the Earth's Core.
Example. A Britis h player sends a Span Five into the tiny Virgi nia colon y Never mind he invented Tarzan. ERB had explorer David Innes discovering
in 1607, and cl ai ms a ll the Eastern sea boa rd as British, up to 1774, which rela tivity even as Einstein was, in this masterpiece written in 1913: " Yo u
is rhe United Sta tes, including rhe British possession of Ca nada in 1763 and have no conception of the strange contradiccions a nd impossibilities which
rhe a rea o f Hudson's Bay Com pany, but bo rdering with Spanish Flo rida to a rise w hen a ll metho ds of measuring time, as we kno w rhem upon ea rth,
rhe So urh, a nd rhe reced ing Native tribes to the west. are no n-ex isrenr. " Innes has a string o f lo ng-range cross-country a dventures
The rro uble with rhis cla.im is that while the Europea n po pulation of the in the sa me rime ir takes his professo r friend to stud y a couple of books.
colonies expand a nd eventua ll y reach o ne a nother, for ma ny decades there
a re no British roads between Virginia and Boston , o nly the sea lanes and L'Engle, M adeleine. A Wrinkle ln Time.
Native Soc ieties. Therefore, rhe GM trims rhe claim a bir, a nd awards the N ew Yo rk: Dell, 1962.
player 1 poinr. Newberry awa rd-winning children's classic of resseracrs a nd m ysterio us
rimes and places .
Negotiated Concession of Spacetime:
In larer rounds, you will find rha t yo u will risk failure unless yo u negoti - Lovecra ft, H owa rd Phillips.
a te with o ther Spanners. This will ass ure tha t you do nor contest other Penned a number of stories invo lving travel to (wha r was in his da y consid-
claims a nd rha r yo u both may benefit. ered) unimaginable depths of rime. T he menta l rime travel o f " The Silver
Example: In Ro und 5 , Spanners from the United States, Britain, and Key " and " The Shadow Out of Time" were plain inspira tio ns for Quantum
France, after some ca refu l negotiations last round, lay cla im to West Berlin Leap. Stories li ke " Ar the Mountains of Madness" , and the patiently sleep -
between 1958 a nd 1989. C hecking hi s a rias, the GM sees rhar a ll three of ing Crhulhu I" The Call of Cthulhu") mark his fasci natio n wirh awakening
those Societies had solid presences in Wesr Berlin during that time, wirh a in a n incomprehensible fucure, from a n incomprehensible past. The Case of
combin ation of rhe Berlin Ai rlifts and military presence, a nd with no Charles Dexter Ward, his only full- length novel, a lso dea ls w ith this rheme,
buc with.in sha rpl y mo rta l terms: " ... bur whar hea lth y a ntiqua ria n could
Germa n o r Prussian Spa nner in play, each of rhe players gers 2 points.
reca ll how the creaking of Epenerus O lney's new signboard (rhe ga ud y
Crown he set up a fter he took to ca lling his ta vern rhe Crown Coffee
GM Mediation: H o use) was exactl y like the first few notes of the new jazz piece a ll che
This wi ll occ ur a r times, as Spanners a rtem pr to grab as much as they radios in Pawtuxer were playing? " Lasr but nor least, the sho rr story "He",
can, to bo th limir their o ppo nents as well establish themselves fo r other wherein an unnamed wiza rd to rtures rhe narrato r wirh terrifying visits to a
moves in la rer ro unds. Nor every grab for territory ca n be a n original cap- Ma nha tta n rhroughour irs ex istence in spacerim e.
ture, a nd sometimes ir is easier to gra b a bunc h o f territories tha t are sub-
ject to media tio n rhan to fai l complerely with a ttempts ar origi nal captures. Morrison, Gram, et a l. The Invisibles.
Example: On Ro und Two, borh Brita.in a nd rhe United Sta res pl ace Spa n New York : DC Comics, 1994.
Fours in 1700 Virginia. The British claim the eastern sea boa rd from Demigod s treet rebels versus evil demigod a uthoriry figures. Good hea lthy
AD l407 to 2407 .The US claims it from 1507 to 2507 . The GM c hee rfull y na rcissist p ropagand a, well-wrirten. Time travel through a kind of dream-
gers our hi s a rias. a nd sta rts pruniag. state, the rules of which a re not terribl y well-defined.
Virginia is first serried by Britons in 1607, so he chops both clain1s off a r Pini, Wendy and Richa rd . Elfquest.
1607, since there are no European levellers before then in the Americans. For Po ughkeepsie, NY: WaRP Graphics, since 1978.
simpliciry's sake, he's sticking to the history timeline book presented for play, Deceptively prerty race o f psychic people fights for surviva l on a Stone Age
w hich happens to declare tbe US beginning in 1774 . So Brita in bas rhat turf planer, a nd cakes up a quesr ro discover thei r a ncestry. Turns out rheir
from 1607 to 1773, the US from 1774 Up. (The GM may a lso use the ancestors were rime travellers w ho screwed up something major. A stern
Aquarian Rule to lirnir all claims a r yea r AD 2000.) Each receive 1 point. wa rning 10 all Inheri tors o ut there.
Special Rules and Tricks. Wells, Hebert George. The Time Machine.
SI. Size Doesn 't Matter seria lized in New Review, 1894-5 ; London: Heinema nn , 1895 .
A French Spa nner ca n claim France for 500 yea rs in either direction, o r The origin a l ho megrown geniu s, writing years before Einstein . Ir 's nor spa n-
a Britis h Spanner ca n claim Grena da from 1783 to 1974, a nd they still a re ning at will, a nd paradoxes a re utterly absent, bur the proragon isr does
valid claims o f rerrirory. What matters is tha t yo u ca n back up yo ur claim wrestle wirh the respo nsibili ry of bea ring witness to rhe ages.
wirh solid proof of either C rown, C ulture, o r Blood. This comes into play
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse Five, or, the Children's Crusade.
mosr o ften in la ter ro unds, as rhe Societies have been sweepingly claimed in
New York: Dell, I 991. (First ed itio n, 1969 .)
large amounts. a nd a ny edge yo u can ga in in the form of a n exrra point o r
The classic featuring Billy Pilgrim who's "come unstuck in rime". Billy finds
cwo is well worth ir.
himself relivin g pa rts o f his life precisely, and has no control over his desti-
S2. Bits a11d Pieces.
nations.
Grabbing a rerrirory in I o r 10 yea r increments, wirh Spanners of Spa n
One o r Two, that o rhers may not rouc h fo r a while can ga rner yo u large
amounts of points quickly. However, ca ution has to be raken rha r someone -Prophecy & Cataclysm (in chronological order)
does not sweep in a nd grab the terricory in o ne fell swoop, emba rrassi ng I Ching. (The Book of Changes ) 6th century BC.
yo u in front of yo ur fellow Spanners as wel l a s causing you to lose points. Wilhelm, Richa rd a nd Cary Baynes, trans. Princeton: Princeton Universiry
S3. Do I trust this person? Press, 1990. (First editio n, 1 950.)
By rhe rime yo u ha ve reached Spa n Four, yo u will have a lread y made a This book of early Cho u D ynasty wisdom has srood the test of millennia.
grea t number of allies and enemies. Pan o f any negotia tion yo u make must Wilhelm 's is rhe definitive editio n, complere wirh instructions and a ll tbe
be the thought tha r someone may bum yo u. Ir could be as si mple as some- ancient a nnota tio ns.
one wanting ro ger a head in the Grearesr Game, or something fa r more sin - The elegance o f irs divination system lay in 64 hexagrams, the c hanges indi-
ister. cating trends. Situatio ns and individuals over the centuries may come a nd
Chapter VI: Details C0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
go, but the narure of the system of change in the un iver e i fixed. The ro the Project: 'Thi s is Conundrum .' Yo u got rh ar right . He sho uld be at rh e
heart of this unique prophetic rool is rhe undersrand.ing rha r when certai n office every rime he ca lls in, but no. he ju t i n't there. Where is he? Didn 't
change come about in certain sequences, the narure of the resu lt is pre- he save rhe world last week? houldn 'r we be faci ng a Frank Pa rker glut a
dictable. The limirs and po sibilicies o i exerci ing sentient force in any given elder Frank a rrive ro fix problems and hang a round with junio rs tbar have
situa tion a re a mply di played. no need ro go back and fix tbe problem ?
Star Trek '- The Voyage Horne, Generations, First Contact, and four TV
Nostradamus (Michel de o tradame). The Centuries. AD 1555.
series. ( 1966- ) Para mo unt. Th e interesting th ing with Trek is, there are no
The most authoritative tra nslation is Jea n-Cha rles de Fontbrune, working in
er rules o f rime travel, ever. Sometimes things you do change rhe universe,
the ea rl y 1980 .
ometimes you fall inro rhe trap of destin y despite yourself. Sometimes borh
Pl ea e be advi ed of the propher's warning, in Larin, pla ed a t the center of
a nd nei ther in the same movie o r episode. The populariry of the series has
his work . before using his prophesies as entertainment:
kept levellers in rhe dark abou t panning fo r decades.
The Terminator (1984 ) and Terminator 2: Judgement Day. ( 199 1) Car olee.
Omnesque A rro logi, Blenni , aba ri procu l unto,
Time travel ca n o nly be done in the nude, o ne-way. fro m a projecting
And let al l Asrrologers, Fools, and Barbarian keep awa y;
machine. But if stuff like clothing or synrheric a rmor and weapo ns can't
As this goes to press, the prophet's onl y full y dated quatra in is co ming due. rra vel, how does Schwa rzenegger's cyborg skeleton make ir rhrough? Or rhe
The "seven month s .. might mea n either Jul y or September ILati11 eptimu T- 1000, a r a ll ?
"seven"!, but the )•ea r seem s unm i takable: Time Cop ( 1994) and series ( 1997) Signa ture/Universa l/Da rk Horse/er. al.
Time cops. · uff said.
Old Frend, Modem English Time Trax. ( 1993 -1994) a rdino/Lorima r/Wa rner Bros. Villains a re sent
Can mil neuf cent nonanre neuf sept moi Seven months, the year I 999, bodi ly ba k ro thei r furu re ar th e wi ll of a rime po licema n; the procedure is
Du ciel ,,jendra un grand Roy d'effraycur From the sky comes the King of Fear, dea dl y poisonou s if arrempred more tha n twice, a nd requires the fixed-posi-
Ressuscirer le grand Roy d'Angoulmoi Reviving the Mongol king, tio n TRAX machi ne. The opening credirs o f rhe hero popping in wirh rhe
Avant apres Mars regner par bonheuL Before and after Mars cheerfully mies. words "Now he is among us!" are a musi ng and misleading: He onl y time
rravels once, in rhe firs t episode. Ar leasr Darien Lambert a nd his ho lo-
mith, Joseph, a revealed by rhe angel Moroni. The Book of Mom1on . 1823. graphic helpmeer Selma a re a likeable pair, and have some chemisrry.
Prophet Joseph mi tb had vision of an ie nt Hebrews om ma nding o rth Time After Time. ( 1979 ) Warner Bros . Well-u afted tale of H .G. Well s as
Ameri an Empi res- revela ti ons he acqu ired br pl acing two glass phe.re.s in in vent or of a rea l rime machine rha r get hijacked by Jack rhe Ripper.
his hat and then pressing his face lose to them. H is fo llo wer a re today U eful fo r peri od in ighr inro the 1890s as well a a rea listic time ca psule
the Church of Jes us Chri t of Latter-Day Sa ints, a nd at this writing, they o f rhe la te 1970s.
give away thi copyrighted sequel ro the Bible fo r free. The Time Machine. ( 1960) Ga laxy/MGM. George Pal's clas ic ra ke on rhe
Velikov ky, Immanue l. Ages ln C haos. clas ic. Sreven Spi elberg's Dreamworks SKG may be filmin g a remake.
Garden Ciry, ew Yo rk: Do ubleday & Son , 195 2. The lime Tunnel. ( 1966 ) Irwin Allen/Kenr/Fox As po pula r a Star Trek in
Speculation and hyperbole mark elikov k{ writing tyle, which i simply irs day, as two friend s get popped around vast stretches of time by a fi xed -
great fo r adventures. but nor fo r ience. Hi ala rmi t revi ion of history, posirion machine mn by the US military.
with such rid es as 'I orlds in Collisio n and Earth In Upheaval, i primari ly Twelve Monkeys. ( 1994) Universa l/Classico/Arlas Terry G illia m· sober time
useful to GM who wa m ro spice up unwrirren age wirh a few carasrrop hic travel maste rpiece th at dea ls with rhe subtleties of knowing and dissemina r-
surprises. ing in fo rma tio n. Time rravel is by fi xed-posi tion projection, not spa nning ar
wi ll , bu r th i movie is a m ust-see. A ca utionary tale fo r those who keep
Toffler, Alvi n. Furure Shock. Banra m Books, 1970. rheir Yer too empry. Ba ed on rhe French film La J ene ( 1962 ).
(And irs sequel The Third Wave 11 9801 and Power hift I 1990 j.) Voyagers! ( 1982-3) Po kerward1 alerts a d uo of adven turers to repai r da m-
The beloved pundit repeatedly weigh in on each decade before him. Toffler age around hisrory.
is a good source fo r di o eriag how people in differenr rimes fe lt abo ut the
future. and their place in history.
-Games (in order of publication)
-Television & Cinema (alphabetical by title) TimeTripper. SPI , 1970
o ne of the e have spanners that travel time a t sheer wi ll, wirh narrow An infantry radio operator in-count ry during a m devises a rime flux un ir
exceptions noted. Many invo lve being cast around again t o ne s wtll. For ou r of his rig whi le tripping on a id. Incredib le prem i e for a hexgrid
travel under one's own will, a (srealable, breakable ) machine is u uaJl y boa rdgame.
employed. For fu rther info rmation o n the plot of any rid es you don 't
already recognize, con ult the internet. Porrer, G reg. TimeLords. Blackburg Tacri al Resea rch Cenrer, 1990.
If you simpl y need mo re vio lence a nd melee wirh yo ur time travel, check
Back to the Future ( 198 ) a nd Back to the Fururc II ( 19 0) & 111 ( 199 1) out rhis game. Has multiple timelines and probabi lities, hu t yo u're nor
Univcrsal/Amblin Has ome serious problems with ca u ality, even as ir a llowed ro meet yo ur elf. Odd .
valia ntl y arrempts to explain things. Ler's go:
The first movie esrabli hes travelling up a changed cimel ine. because Wieck, Stuart, er. al. Mage: The Ascension. Whire Wolf Game Studio, 1993.
Michael J. Fox· character Marry re.rums home from 1955 ro an improved, A fi ne enrry iota rhe 'Worl d of Darknes ' . You ca n cha nge rea lity ar will, so
yuppie lifesryle. Okay. Then in Parr II , o ld evil Biff in 20 15 rea ls rhe rime you can try ro time rravel, but nm much. If you cha nge anyrhi ng, this guy
machine. goe back ro 19 5 ro im prove his junior's luck, a nd then returns will how up and ma ke yo u die. Other WoD players rhink mages a re roo
the machine. Ma rty and Doc then ta ke the machine ba k fr om 20 15 ro a powerfu l anyway.
nightmari hl y cha nged 1985, a nd correctly determine that only by retu rning Ad va nced Dungeons & Dragons Chrono mancer. TSR, 1994.
ro the 1955 poi nt of change (the as/as not ) can rhei• et rh ings to righr . ool name. convoluted proce s. A er o f checks a nd ba lances based o n a
-Leave a ide the sheer mysrery o f rvhy any villain would return a working kind o f asrral ·sih•er cord ', , ith a less rhan convincing set of ad venrures for
rime machine: B)• the series' own rule , o ld Biff hould rerurn &om 1955 to a the Dungeons & Dragons mulriverse. Fun ruff like meeting your elf is
nightmarishl y hanged 20 15, with Marty & Doc safely locked away or dead ... declared impossible- unless you're a high level chrono mancer.
Bill & Ted's Excellent Advcnrure ( 1988) and Bill & Ted's Bogus J ou rney.
( 199 1) lnrerscope/Nelson and O rion. Case study in wh y responsibi lity is ar Laws, Rob in . Feng Shui . Daedalu , 1996.
the hea rt o f rhe Maxims, a nd why reens a re ra rely chosen as spa nners. The In rhis exce llem RPG, mosr of rhe Feng Shui sites a re gares to the furure
movies are good example o f working o ur one's yer, including lipshan k. and pasr, a nd musr be gua rded. They have rha r Quantum Leapffime
And except fo r certain minor anachronisms in the medieval Bri tain cenes, T111111el qua liry of synchronously moving forwa rd in time, so ir's mainl y a
it's accura te abour tbe pa rand its language . ga teway to cro s-genre fun. Said to be in prim aga in, from Atlas Games.
Dr. Who ( 1963- 1989) BBC. (1996) Fox TV Movie. nri l its can ellarion, Ja kson, Steve and John M. Ford. GURPS lime Travel.
the longest-run ning d ramatic TV series in rhe world. Starring rhe original reve Jackson Games, 1995.
phone booth jockey, the ea rl y series was fo r children; ir always left you rhe Thorough overview of eve ry kind of time travel in literarure, as interpreted
feeling you would have more fun driving a TARDIS tha n watching the fo r roleplaying games. (Including spanni ng, pretty much: Check out rhc
kindly Doctor go abour a nd knock down the ame stra w cybermen each Time Jumping advantage.) Makes for a dizzying set of choices before a GM
week. T he later series has much improved plo r.lines, including a nasry sur- ca n begin play. bu r is a must fo r any gamers' library.
prise in the yet: rhe Docror·s 13th incarnation is evil. Bu t many d ie.hard fans
felt ir grew too dark. Hallida)', Chris. Tune Wars. (in development)
Groundhog Day. (1993) Columbia. BiU Murray's cha ra rer is forced to hrtp://www.fortuoecity.com/ta rtooine/wilhelm/148/timewa rs.hrml (as of
repeat rhe sa me day until he gets it righr. Probably based o n the Cha nticleer M~ y 1999) It's nor spanning, but ir is a thorough, milira ry-orienred rime
Fi lms shorr 12:0 I ( 199 1). tra vel campaign uni verse being developed online. Since Chr is has been mag-
Quanrum Leap. ( I 989- 1993) Bdi arius Producrion . In rhe fin al ep i ode, na nimous eno ugh to say, " I wish I had tho ughr o f it fi rst," how can we not
Sam Beckcrr learns rhe power ro leap at will and in hi own fo rm- a nd 'The Friday 10 PM Para dox: In the Star T rek Univer e, in AD ·1968, wha t
inuned iarel y unma kes hi o wn furure, a nd the actions of the entire series. doe NBC have on its fa ll schedule, Friday nights at 10 PM ? A quandary in
Seven Days. ( 1998- ) UP 1• Frank Pa rker rravels back in rime, a nd ca ll in uspension o f disbelief applicable to mosr works o f ficti on.
C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet Chapter VI: Details
give him a plug? Besides, Chris' game is the only one we know rhar is com-
ing in the future ... except... Appendix X. Index
Adams, Fooden, Manu i, er al. Narcissist: Crashing Free. Actions 14, 16
Aerherco/D reamca rcher, 2000. Age 33, 36, 88, 142-3, 155
Thar other ph.ilosophy gets irs rum ar Yer. Ger more our of frag. Make ir all Antedesertium 41, 102, 136-8, 202-5
the way to 'E'. Quest fo r the key to your own utopia . Or connive you r wa)• Antiquarians Fraternity 64-7 161-2, 196
up the rank of Antedesertium. Maybe you just want to experiment playing Aquarian Skills 114-6
the bad guy... or maybe you've begun to suspect who are the rea l heroes in As/as not 41 , 53
this universe. Attributes 10
Atlantis, Atlantean Councils 41 , 204-5
Benefits 11-3
Reference Blunder 16, 25
-Nonfiction Body 10, 17
Benford, G regory. Deep Tune. Bout22, 26
ew York : Avon Books, 1999. Causality 56-7
Benford recounts his time devising a U.S. nuclear waste fac il ity that can Character Creation 9
warn people away fo r the next I 0,000 yea rs. Fascinating philosophy of Character Sheet 12, 147, 224
"deep time messages"- communicati ng across generations- is ela borated. Combat, Physical 22-7
and hears obvious releva.nce to spanners. Continuum 41 , 46
Corner 41 , 50-2, 88-9
Keel, John . Th e Mothman Prophecies. Crashers 181
Unusua l experiences of an educated man present during the I 967 West Death 40-1, 142-3, 155-6; Second Death 41
Virginia UFO fl ap. Good Inheritor reference. This book is fa mo us for van- Dream Combat 11 0-1
ishing mysteriously. Ir's brief mention on an episode of X-Files ca used an Dreamers Fraternity 67-9, 108-111, 162
explosion of fan ma il ; two movies treating r.he story as fiction are in pro- Dreaming 20, 108-111
ducti on at this writing. Dreamtime 41 . 11 O
Engineers Fraternity 69-70, 163-4
Priestley. J.B. Man and Time. Exalted 41 , 100-5
New York: Crescent Books, 1964.
British CLtrm udgeon and time uavel pla ywright weighs in on how Time is Fraternities 42, 60, 61-87, 160-174
perceived throughou t the ages. Many good insights on prophetic dreaming, Foxhorn Fraternity 70-2, 164-5, 196
includ ing extensive excerpts from a confessiona l letter campaign he con- Frag 41, 53-8, 129, 138, 157-9, 189, 190-1
ducted in the da ys before tabloid-mentality eroded the va lue of such work. Frune 42
Gemini Incident 39-40, 42, 122-3, 155
-Technical & General Reference Glossary 41 -3, 181 -2
Bonewits, P.E .I. Real Magic: An Introductory Treati se on the Basic Grace 14, 25
Principles o f Yellow Magic. Berkeley: Crea tive Am Book Company, 1979. Greatest Game 94, 95-100, 182-6, 218-9
Hunt of the Sun 208
(First edi tion, 197 1.)
Hunters' Code 164, 189
The o riginal hum anistic-scientific look at magical/psychic rradj tio ns from
Hypnosis 20, 115
the world 's fir t acc redited Bachelor of Magic Arts. Also check out his Impairment 23
ea rl y RPG supplement Authentic Thaumarurgy, if you can find it. In-Between 30, 152-3, 176-180
Hitching. Francis. The Mysterious World : An Atlas of the Unexplained. Inheritors 102-5, 186-8
New York: Holt , Rhjneha rt and Winston, 1979. Invitation 8, 152-3, 167
A complete rundown of all the most famous weird stuff through the ages, Levellers 42, 48-9, 153-4, 156-7
Limits 13-5
as perceived in the world before paranoia was a gen re. Wri tten with an
Locality 19, 21
open-minded bur nobody's-fool approach.
Madness 117, 138-43
La nger, William. ed . An Encyclopedia of World History. Maxims frontispiece, 42, 47, 51 , 91-3, 101-2
Boston: Houghton MiHlin Company, 1950. Mentor 51 , 91-3
Definitive rimeline of th e history of the world, as seen from the knowledge Midwives Fraternity 22-4, 165-6
and arrirude of the midd le of the 20th Century. Once upd ated frequentl y. its Mind 10, 17
republication appears to have been abandoned at arou nd 1950. Moneychangers Fraternity 14, 74-7, 166, 193
Nanotech 163, 164-5, 168, 182, 207
Morris, Wi lliam. ed. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Narcissists 42, 117, 126-7, 135-8, 190-3
Language, Co llegiate Edition. Paradox 42, 53-4, 56-7, 157-8
Boston: Ho ughton Mifflin Compa ny, 1979. Physicians Fraternity 77-80, 155, 166-8
Contains the basic guide to lndo-European and the /ndo-Europeans. This Quick 10, 20
linguistic appendix was removed duri ng rhe 1980s, and on ly recently resur- Quicker Fraternity 80-2, 168-170
faced, mainly in electronic editions.
Scribes Fraternity 82-4, 111-2, 170-2, 196
Nahin, Pa,il J. Time Travel. !Science Fiction Writers Series, Ben Bova, ed. ] Sentient Force 42, 53
Ci ncinnati : Writer's Digest Books, I 997. Shift Sight 10, 33, 42
Exce llent wri ter's guide ro the latest trends, and the long-establi shed princi- Shock 24, 110
ples, that allow rime travel in hard science a nd ha rd science fiction. Skills 10, 11, 17-22, 40, 60, 111 , 113, 155
Slipshank 39
Winfree, Arthur T. When Time Breaks Down. Societies, The 43, 95-7, 102
Princeton: Princeton University Press 1987. Span Card 127, 147. 189, 222-3
Highly revelatory work on the func tion of pha e si ngula rities in the Span- One 30-59, 153-160; Two 60-87, 160-174; Three 88-93, 174-
rh ythms of the human hea rt. 182; Four 94-100, 181 , 182-6; Five 100-5, 186
Spanning 32-5, 43, 88, 154-5, 174-6
Strategems 122-7
Superiority 16, 23
Sweep 122, 128
Telekinesis 116
Telepathy 110,114, 115-6
Online Thespians Fraternity 84-7, 15,172-4, 196
Time Combat 117-135, 188-9
Visit us ar ... www.aetherco.com/continuum/ Time Machines 163, 208
and for the best time travel Links online visit Time Travel, method 174-5, 208
Time Index 21
www.aetherco.com/tiinelinks/ Titles 14, 16
Vessels 196, 205
Weapons 17-9, 27
Yet, The 33, 43, 47, 224-5
Young Gemini 43, 155
Zodiac Eras 37-9, 43, 155, 203-9
Chapter VI: Details C 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
15. Tlie Far an"il tlie Near He seems very 'flusterea witli liimself, for a man of his
Age. '1 turned against- my mentor."
Seana Stirling, Exalted, leaves 89 hours in Council "Ray is very clever. I know, he was at my side for-"
chambers behind her. 89 hours of debating human I can hardly bring myself to admit it. My poor novice!
attire; how much of it is Art, and how much of it mere "Well thank God they didn't {rag you out."
function. The Antiquarians and the Scribes have had "He showed me stuff. Reall.v, Stirling." Anton was all
some of their say, but mainl.v it only served to remind but pulling his forelock and wrenching his cap in his
her of an old debt in her Yet, something more than get- hands for shame. "I don't know how, but he explained a
ting back to Zayoshi and Jeanne eight da.vs Up. rotating system of {rag that-"
She thinks of the heavy paper made only in the She raises a hand, mind still racing down the list of
press district of the Third Ring. She is there, among everything Ray was ever involved in. "I have heard all
pressmen and interested spanners, gaggles of Scribes abo1tt it. Another narcissist Perpetual Motion scam.
in this, the one great spanner metropolis. She has to Put it from your mind." Even now, it's hard to comfort
find the matching wrapping paper, an old, old instinct. him. That might not change.
Some cheerful fuss again over this, a sedentary "But I saw it! -I thought I saw it. Like pushing
Antiquarian appears in the market, as if to start the inside one of those huge blobby soap bubbles. There
Council debate anew, and Seana finds room to smile. are other events!"
'7 think you know better than that, Anton." Seana
remembers regrets and disappointments, but they are
She arrives, in the chair, in the light of upstate New sorted, well sorted. She kind of misses the passion of
York. All the old tactiles of the corner she mentored fearing the boy. It had faded, as news of him thinned
enfold her gracefull_v. to nothing. But she draws out a gifi.
And through the door, she hears the old argument in Anton dutifully unwraps it. "I should have brought
the kitchen. Her mind sees the faces and the moves. you something, too. This meeting has had me, I
There will be a gemini later today, but first, her little dunno ... " He looks surprised at the battered paper-
corner is having a crisis. Anton is up to fever pitch: '7 back, an edition from nearly forty years Up. 'Thank
don t give a damn about your fascist Maxi.ms!" you. I've never read it. "
Stirling leans over and whispers, 'This is where we Even you may have something yet to do. The Exalted
all point and screech at him like Donald Sutherland." finally feels her Age. All the missing pieces are over.
It makes Anya smile, but she is growing more visi- Charlies odd doubts. Evan.a away for centuries. Ray
bly troubled by the second, and Stirling feels it deep. acting the smoothass watchful guardian at my Invita-
What if Anton isn 1 able to handle this? tion. And Lydia! By Gamesh, what did he do to her!
"But we should do things. Like, like go Up and stop The image of Ray tempting Lydia into something stu-
Jeffrey Dahmer-" Dahmer kills in Milwaukee, Seana pid and forbidden, then scaring her with blackmail till
recalls her junior recalling. But this conscious deja vu she rots at home. It made sense. She wrote Help Lydia
holds another twist. It bothers the Exalted; presents as feasible deep on the neurons sorting her Yet. She
informati-On yet to be sorted. would attend to it immediately, over her next 24 years.
"You 're an idiot, Anton," says Chris. "You 're talking And if Anton has been a looming nightmare, what ofl
about changing what's known-" Ray Talanthus? His presence shadows Stirling to her
Anton rails on. ~ah, change. Its a basic goal of very birth. The trust. Her every move as a spanner.
mankind. A right, even." And now she was Exalted, a prize.
"Look," says Chris, before the mentor can say any- Even my dream logs. Ah, that. The plan is made.
thing, 'Yor levellers, time travel, it's a barrier. They
can't cross it, no matter how greedy or stupid they
grow. Its their circle of the world. But for us, we're on Ray is happily tapping on his book, nestled into a
he other side. Everything they do is set. Its the cliff- sofa. His house in the suburbs of Milwaukee is modest
sides and ravines of our lives that we can't move. enough. Modest, for a prince of Taydar. But then, its
That's the deal. That's always been the deal. Grow up!" AD 1999, and a long way from North Africa.
'Thats very good, Chris," says junior Stirling. He glances up to llff Stirling, or whom he thinks of
"Yeah, well, I've been reading." as Stirling, fl.oating a foot off the floor and glowering
Another Anton is there, and looks remarkably with- down with a coldness she never mastered when they
'drawn and severe. He gets a glass of milk, scowls at ran together with the Foxhorn.
his junior, and heads for the living room. "You nearly drove him to kill himself," she says.
Already he can tell. She is dressed precisely as she ''.And when he wouldn i do that, you had to eliminate
was when mentoring, July 7, AD 1964, her skin and him personally. The bowling ball is bizarre touch."
hair rematched to perfection. She does not float. But she The information is plainly with Stirling. Ray is non-
can see that he can sense it. He faces an ethical god. chalant. "Accidents don't happen with katanas." /
Seana:, victory is not plain, but shattering in under- "Accidents don t happen.,, Her voice is buried ice.
statement to Anton. He thinks of the most shocking "I think that's where we shear off, Cynful. Each to
ay to tell her, like it was a deathbed instinct: "Ray:, a our own universe. You want your party and I want-"
narcissist." And Seana, stops listening. She turns her back to
A set of old suspicions turned, then rotated in her him, like a furwus Aquarian, and reflects only silence.
mind again, fitting like an Ola protein puzzle. She His information is not accepted. He, shortly, is not.
blinks, he has startled her. "How is this.,, She hears his breath, an intake with more surprise
And for twenty minutes, in low tones, he explains. than he has planned for. The high Span Foxhorns
approach, the demonstrations of secreu. How the arrive, and the living room shatters to pieces behind
!forbidden truth of the Invitation was agony. By the her. The front window smashes into the night, thumps
time he is finished their juniors and their corner are and odd squeals come from many rooms, simultaneously.
out of the house, enjoying another time. Then brute silence.
Finally, she asks, "'Did you share his agenda?" She touches ground, walks across the blasted room,
"No, I was on a personal crusade, and a stupid one. " and out through the glassless window, and glances
c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
right, wliere Ray stancls. What remains. parses it ti e it was nostalgia. ut er question is
"See now, I have a contingency plan for this," says direct and clear. She insists to learn his mi11sion here.
Ray angrily, but hes mumbling because his teeth are Ray smirks. "One thing I've learned in all my Age
slowly spinning out of his head, through his spongy with ihe Continuum. Learn too much, all you get is
fl.esh , out through his cheek and ear. One is caught useless {rag. I'll let 1ou stew in these juices. You can
under his eye. But all keep quivering as he speaks, just keep on guessing what makes me tick."
because to some of Ray, they're still in h'is mouth. "You 're not in the least concerned of the events of
He reaches for his holographic book, but it's slipping tonight? Where we bring you down like a Lobase razor-
into his forearm . He gingerly tries to pull it loose. but back?"
some of the deeper parts of his epidermis are sticking Ra:y snorts at the comparison. "Not very. He's just a
to it, especially the warm parts where the batteries are poor echo. Doesn't have to be me. " .
kept. But Chris is watching by satelJite, reports this to
"Ogg- Ohh k.v. thaas aprobblm." But at.last~ Seana. Here, she knows Ray is gloatingly scanning'her
has it free, and opens it. "I'm gonna broadcash. This dream logs. But dream logs can. be made up. Already
neighboorhood is gonna wakke up to a freaky he takes t:he bait, thinks he sees the flaw, walks his
holoshow, and I'm the star. Now BAKK OFF, or you'll Yet. There is no escape.
have a majjr incident i m not alon no" "You'll be drawn to this night, Thlanthus. Sure as silk."
And l.(ydia is behind him. "HEY GENIUS." She has a "I don't think so, Cynful. l'rn surprised that you're
remote electric charger. A toy, from anAquarian friend. still so oblivious at, at, well whatever Span that is,,, he
And the holodiary explodes in an arc overload from gestures, as if annoyed at her body. ''Excuse me, I have
the microwave current, a current tearing Ray apart. to call the police."
He discards the device, and twists, but barely moves. And she leaves him there, all alone.
"Ah,FUr-"
Ray is a blur along the edge of the house, where he Seana is back in Atlantis, a second after departing
tries to run, or span. A white, glowing shape fading her {rien:ds. She has enjoyed eight dayQ since facing
into a blob. Charlie appears an instant before what- Anton, then Ray, by laying iTJ, the mud baths of~
had-been-Ray twists slowly into the ground, won over Urgh:fzi, where a rider can choose up to seven fruits
by Earths gravity. and one bed paTtner a night. She returns arrayed as
Charlie looks pretty beat. "He keeps doing that. Repe(lt- she left, but sits on the rail by Jeanne, and is an ounce
ing that move along the house once every 2!J., 30 days. At more thoughtful. Something not unnoticed.
least for the ner.ct year. I've let the Quicker know." *Euerything is sorted.* It was the kind of ql.iestion
Ly<J,ia is staring at what she's done. It- takes a beat Za_yoshi put, in the form of an answer.
for her to recover, and she doesn't, entirely. 'Thirty *Aye, Za.*
'days? Like lunations?" she makes herself say. "Mind "We were just getting to discuss food production,
explaining that?" aloud," says Zayoshi. '7t s fine pr-0ctice for me."
Seana is in the bushes across the street. She ''It must be agony, making such an effort!'' says
approaches, only Charlie sees her, and he makes no .J eanne, pleasantly enough. ''l am sorr,y to see you put
sign. He carefully gathers up the pieces of Ray's diary. yourself through such a needle."
"Further information isn't available here," Charlie ''Perhaps," Zayoshi almost brightens. "I could show
yawns and strekhes. ''Except. I hear 't's common you the Aquarian arts? That would be delight and sur-
enough in ghost stories. I'm going to bed." prise."
''1'm not. I'm up for a good white. Oh momma." But even when talking of the Virgin Era, Zayoshi's
ChaPlie doesn't see, but Lydia is a cold sweat, holding brightness is that of old uinyl. Jeanne is nonplussed,
the remote li"/u! the smoking pistol it is. even slightly soured. ''No thank .vou. I haue no interest."
Charlie is already waving goodbye, Seana is noncha- "Surely being able to use your mind for anything is
lant, but waves. He is not in her Yet, but wants him to a goal. 1b reach being Exalted."
think so, 'Ibo br-ief a life needs its illusions. Charlie is "You are jealous, eh?" . ,,
rgone. Za lowers her brow in that way she ha.s. "What.
A car pulls up with levellers. "He~ Lydi<ji! Ray said "Yo1t. cannot read me. You see, I have studied with
you'd be n.ere.,. l.(ydia sees Seana approach, nods but the serene men of the ages, not the toolmakers,, of your
looks terrified. The remote hqs fallen into the grass, time. I am good at this, yes? But thenJ I've had a gift
an,d Seana kneels and picks it up. for uoices in my lteq,d."
"It's going to be okay," says Seana to the young Zayoshi~ face almost struggles, and Stirling thinks,
Lydia. Aii.d it won't be okay for her, for many years of Not enough muscles left.
e. Ray all but puts her on the rock, because h.e "I have business." The Aquarian is gone.
exists, and he alread,.y begins to measure and suspect "You see, Cynthia? They are less for it. Do not envy
the actiom; ofthis night. Bl/,t one day, she leaves her them, anything."
house, and starts living again. And she takes a sisters "That!s almost a narcissist thing to say, Jeanne."
comfort i11, that. The Exalted's black hair rises in the breeze like a
Lydia gets in the car, and goes off with the laughing threat, but the Hazel eyes are only curious.
zeroes. She is not the life of the parti, even for them, A.small thoughtful frown, la Pucelle glances over
this night. the houses of the smithers of Atlantis. "Ah no, I do not
Seana walks once around Ray~ quiet suburban wish to erase them? It is God's will that they are. I
home. She has been apprised of how much remains, only thought, well-" she takes in Stirling's full gaze.
and ao circles around to meet him. Ray is there lookin{!i "I once wished God had meant something else by 'the
at the damage to his- home. His clothes are different., meek'. Mais c'est urai."
but this junior is vibrant as ever. An.other Jeanne is running, a hundred feet away,
'Vandals! Look what they've done. Elope they squealing in Old French, saying the water is wonderful.
haven't /ragged anything vdluable. n That one has on a modept bathing suit, and is in- the
"Hm. Whats the going rate for treason?" The water of the Second Harbour with a span and a splash.
betrav.al is still fresh and awful for Seana but she
Chapter VI: Details c 0 NTINUUM: roleplaying in The Yet
1
Roleplaying in the Yet "'
Spanning Card
Copynghl C 1998, 1999 Manu1, Adams & Fooden
Paten t Pending
~ SPAN
~ SIPAN Th1
DIR. WHEN WHERE DURATION AGE
( spent -~ c~emaining)
--
(0/UU ) YYYY /MM/DD hh:mm(:ss) events/ actions Y /0/h/ m/s Y/0/h/m/s y D h m s YEARS DAYS
• f
-
-
-- -
--
--
--
-- •
-- 1111
-- "
----
----
-
C 0 NTINUUM™ , SPANn•, and THE YET™ are trademarks of JEtherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. World rights reserved. v.1.0
GEMJNJ
a:-.=~.. .-----.-
young This Spa n
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10 I
C NTINUUM
0
fM
0
Age: Yrs:_ _ _Days:_ _ _ Date of Birch: _ _ _ _ _ _ __ O Deliberate
Date of lnvi tation: _ _ _ _ _ Current Corner: _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Locality: ________Fraternity: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ QNatural
Era: Society: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
I B/M/Q
N ~ A 0 0 ~ J ~ C D M (!)Q)(D~
B/M/Q I
N ~ A ~ J ~ M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~ A 00~ J ~ M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~ A ~ J ~ M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~0€) A ~ J ~ M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~00 A ~ J ~ M (!)Q)(D~OO
B/M/Q I
N ~00 A ~ J ~ M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~OO A 00~ J ~CD M (!)Q)(D~Q)OO
B/M/Q I
N ~ A ~ J ~CD M ~
B/M/Q I
N ~00 A ~ J ~ M (!)Q)(D~OO
Assets:$
Quick/ Combat Bout Table
stage #1 stage #2 stage #3 stage #4 stage #5 Result Dam. Code Wound Tracking Table
no no es no no
no yes no yes 00
0-2 D IP Bruise/Lethal Bleeding?
3-4 C B/L y in
no_ _Y,,CS 5-7 B
yes no yes yes yes B/L y/n
8-10+ A
yes yes yes yes yes B/L y /n
B/L y/n
Weapons Ammo Rof Length Concea l DIC/BIA B/L y/n
I I I Add 1 LP of bleeding impairment
I I I at the end of stage #5 of the com-
I I I bat bout for every wou nd that is
bleed ing, and again every other
I I I bo ut unril sropped.
I I I
C o NTINUUM
™
Name:
Sex: Race: Ht: Wt: SPAN FRAG
FRAG
FRAG
Deliberate
08
Age: Yrs: Days: Date of Birth:
Date of Invitation: Current Corner:
Locality: Fraternity: Natural
Era: Society:
BODY
0
(!)©<9©©
MIND
0
(!)©<9©©
QUICK
0
(!)©<9©©
Benefits & Limits:
/ / /
CºNTINUUM™, THE YET™, SPAN™, and the hand-and-watch logo are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. World rights reserved.
Copyright ©1998, 1999 Aetherco/ Dreamcatcher. Permission granted to the retail customer of CºNTINUUM to copy this page for personal use only. Further information is not available here.
GM Sheets from Further Information: A Gamemaster’s Treasury of Time
TECH CARD C o N T I N U U M™
r o le pl ay i ng i n T he Ye t ™
™
Tech
Era(s), Dates:
Inventor(s), Dates:
Original Necessity
Original Use
Materials
Game Stats
Sketch of tech, circa _______
Copyright © 1998-2000 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use only. v.1.1 1
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CORNER SHEET CoNTINUUM ™
ro lepl ay in g in T he Ye t™
™
SPAN FRAG
MENTOR B M Q
MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE BENEFITS
N OTES
MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF R ANK-S CORE MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE
MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE MAJOR SKILLS ATTRIB. R ANGE OF RANK-SCORE
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NEIGHBORHOOD SHEET CoNTINUUM ™
ro lepl ay ing i n T h e Ye t™
™
LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT
LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT LOCATION
SPAN
I B M Q
FRAT
NEIGHBORHOOD CHART
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Copyright © 1998-2000 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use only. v.1.1
CºNTINUUM™ and the hand-and-watch logo are trademarks of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher for their time travel game. Further information is not available here.
SOCIETY SHEET CoNTINUUM ™
ro lepl ay ing i n T he Ye t™
™
a OVERVIEW
-a
DETAIL
I
DATE . DATE . DATE
-
population
language
- -
art
dress &
furnishings
-
commerce
-
tech
zeitgeist
-
mores
-
enemies
-
myth
I I I
Copyright © 1998-2000 Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. Permission granted to photocopy this page for personal use only. v.1.1
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