WAKE

WAKE
TIM ZEE
Version 1.1

This work was conceived and created on the land of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ,
Haudenosaunee, Mississaugas of the Credit and Wendake-Nionwentsïo. The creator of this
work recognizes the historical and contemporary abuses suffered by these nations, at the hands
of Canada’s governments, and commits to creating work that is anti-colonial and anti-racist.

You may not play this game if you are a fascist or a bigot or someone who values capital
over community.

This work is based on Breathless, product of Fari RPGs (https://farirpgs.com/), developed

and authored by René-Pier Deshaies-Gélinas and licensed for our use under the Creative
Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

This work’s sections on Drifters and Observers includes content from the Cairn System
Reference Document Version 1.0 (https://cairnrpg.com/cairn-srd) developed and authored
by Yochai Gai. Cairn is also licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

WAKE is also licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Third party
materials for WAKE are permitted and encouraged. Any compatible material made for
WAKE should clearly state that the material is an independent production and is not
associated with or endorsed by Tim Zee.

The themes of WAKE are inspired by the following media:

Books: Ubik (1969), Neuromancer (1984).

Films: Total Recall (1990), The Matrix (1999), Paprika (2006), Inception (2010), Flatliners
(2017).

Video Games: Fortnite (2017), Control (2019).

Special Thanks: Josh Boykin, Cabbagehead, Tadhg Lyons, Matthew Nevers and Kate W.

Fonts: Nasalization by Typodermic Fonts Inc. (headings and subheadings), Malgun Gothic
by Sandoll Communications (body text) and Window Command Prompt by McFood (chat
log).

Images via Pixabay.

Rate this game at timzee.itch.io/wake

First published in August 2022.

© 2022 Tim Zee and Three Nine Press

ISBN: 978-1-7775803-6-0
CONTENTS
Introduction 2

Safety 4

Drifters 4

Observers 5

Faculté 7

Checks 8

Tour de Force 8

Cynosures 10

Telesmas 10
Strain 11

Keys 13

Nightmares 13

The Gameplay Loop 15

Playing in the Norm 15

Missions 16

Glossary 17
Character Sheet 20
00:01 Fox has entered the chat.
00:01 <Cutter> Are you ready?
00:01 <Fox> Yes.
00:01 <Cutter> Are you certain?
00:02 <Fox> Yes.
00:02 <Cutter> Let’s begin.
00:02 <Fox> What’s TDP?
00:03 <Cutter> I can’t tell you that, yet.
00:03 <Fox> Then this is a waste of time.
00:03 <Fox> ...
00:04 <Fox> ???
00:05 <Fox> Are you still there?
00:05 <Cutter> You have to learn how to walk before you can run.
Imagine what you need to know before you can fly.
00:05 <Fox> Ok.
00:05 <Fox> What does that mean?
00:05 <Fox> Cutter?
00:05 <Cutter> What do you know about the Wake?
00:06 <Fox> ?

1
INTRODUCTION
The physical world, or ‘THE NORM’, is just one side of a coin. The
other side, ‘THE DREAM’, is where we go when we sleep.

However, some people have discovered how to traverse the Dream

while they are still awake. They know that what happens in the Dream
dramatically affects the Norm. Some exploit this truth to maintain and
consolidate power. They are known as MERIDIAN. Those who enter
the Dream to fight MERIDIAN, and destroy what they have created,
call themselves DRIFTERS.

In WAKE you play as Drifters who belong to a decentralized group

known as THE DAWN PATROL. TDP utilizes a state known as THE
WAKE to venture into the Dream. This overlapping reality between
the Norm and the Dream is accessible via a 21 GUN SALUTE (a
psychotropic cocktail) and a medically induced coma. While in this
state, Drifters lucidly voyage into the Dream and battle the forces of
MERIDIAN.

When a Drifter enters the Wake their physical bodies remain in the
Norm, monitored by an OBSERVER, while their UM (a Drifter term for
the mind, ego, soul and/or spirit) enters the Dream.

While in the Dream, Drifters travel through ever-shifting landscapes in

search of BEACONS. These landmarks, constructed by MERIDIAN, emit
commanding waves of influence across the ums of all who sleep.
Beacons tell people what to believe, who to serve, what to buy.

Destroying a beacon is extremely difficult. MERIDIAN keeps them

hidden, fortified and guarded by ROACHES (trained foot soldiers who
enter the Wake via a specialized MERIDIAN facility).

Drifters face down these challenges using a set of tools that can
generate tremendous impact, and violence, within the Dream:
FACULTÉ, CYNOSURES, TELESMAS.

With these tools Drifters risk everything, including becoming

untethered from their physical bodies, to fight MERIDIAN and make
the Norm and the Dream a better place.

To play WAKE you need one player to perform the role of Observer
and one or more players to play the roles of Drifters (3-4 is optimal).
You’ll also need character sheets (found at the end of this booklet),
writing instruments and set of polyhedral dice (d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s
and d12s).

2
00: 32 <Fox> Who or what is MERIDIAN?
00: 32 <Cutter> You know exactly who they are. You watch them.
You listen to them. You pay them. You might have voted
for them.
00:33 <Fox> Ok. And they got that way because of the Dream?
00:34 <Cutter> The Dream is the window to the mind. What the
mind encounters there, it carries with it into the Norm.
When MERIDIAN discovered this they devised a way to fill
the Dream with a persuasive force that can drive the
masses in any direction they wish.
00:35 <Fox> That’s hard to believe.
00:36 <Cutter> Is it? Then how do you explain an entire
population willing to look away while MERIDIAN burns
this planet to a crisp? Billions being just fine with
suffering, while the few pursue what exactly? Wealth?
Power? Pleasure?
00:37 <Fox> Ok.
00:37 <Cutter> How do you explain war?
00:37 <Fox> Ok.
00:37 <Cutter> How do you explain people sacrificing their
time, their lives, their everything... Very truth itself, to
feed these monsters?
00:37 <Fox> I get it!
00:38 <Cutter> Perhaps.
00:38 <Fox> And you’re immune to this?
00:38 <Cutter> Once you see them for what they are, you can
resist.

3
SAFETY
Before you play WAKE, define lines that should not be crossed. Pause
or rewind the game if something uncomfortable happens. Always
make sure everyone is comfortable with the direction of the story.
Check in after sessions to make sure everyone is having fun.

The table-top role-playing game safety toolkit, curated by Lauren

Bryant-Monk and Kienna Shaw, can be found at the following website:
https://tinyurl.com/bddana46

DRIFTERS
Drifters come from all possible backgrounds. Their path towards The
Dawn Patrol usually starts with lucid dreams, where they witness
battles between TDP and MERIDIAN. That path winds through coded
pamphlets, darknet blogs and underground safe houses until an
Observer finally brings them into the fold.

To make a Drifter write down their name, nom de guerre and

pronouns on the character sheet provided at the end of this booklet.
Write down a short description of their appearance (in the Norm) and
the identity (or GUISE) they use when in the Dream.

Drifters use ASPECTS to perform actions within the Dream. By default

aspects have a d4 rating. On your character sheet assign a d10, a d8,
and a d6 to three aspects you think fit your character best. More
details about aspects can be found in the Faculté section (page 7).

Finally, describe your drifter’s cynosure (page 10).

Principles for playing a Drifter

• Don’t ask only what your character would do, ask what you would do, too.

• Seek consensus from the other Drifters before barreling forward.

• Stay on the same page about goals and limits, respecting each other and
accomplishing more as a group than alone.

• Asking questions and listening to detail is more useful than any stats, items, or
skills you have.

• Take the Observer’s description without suspicion, but don’t shy away from seeking
more information.
• There is no single correct way forward.

• Keep things moving forward and play to see what happens.

4
OBSERVERS
The Observer is both a role within the group of players playing WAKE
and a character within the game-world. As a player the Observer,
describes the world that exists around those who are playing as
Drifters. The Observer listens to Drifters and reacts to their ideas, and
rolls, to create a stimulating story for all involved.

As a character, the Observer is a former Drifter whose physical or

mental state will no longer allow them to enter the Wake.

Most often, Observers (aka OBs, Old Bones or Originals) are older or
elderly. Observers have a tremendous amount of experience traversing
the Dream. Many of the founders of The Dawn Patrol are now
Observers. They administer the pharmaceuticals needed to enter the
Wake. They are also proficient with life support and monitoring
systems.

Observers fit drifters with EEG caps to view a live readout of their
brain activity. They understand what Drifters are seeing and hearing in
the Wake, thanks to their expertise at deciphering this data. Observers
use the VOX OBSCURA (a special form of speech) to communicate
with Drifters while they are in the Dream.

Observers still visit the Dream, though only when they sleep. Their
experience in the Wake permits them to be especially lucid in their
dreams and thus they are able to conduct brief recon missions there.

To make an Observer write down their name, nom de guerre and

pronouns. Write a short description of their appearance.

Principles for playing an Observer

• Drifters do not need to roll dice to learn about their circumstances.

• Be helpful and direct with your answers to their questions.
• Respond honestly, describe consistently, and always let them know they can keep
asking questions.
• The game world is organic, malleable and random. It intuits and makes sharp
turns.
• Use random tables and generators to develop situations, not stories or plots.
• Pay attention to the needs and wants of the Drifters, then put realistic
opportunities in their path.
• Telegraph serious danger to Drifters when it is present. The more dangerous, the
more obvious.
• Give Drifters a solid choice to prompt outcomes when the situation lulls.

5
00:55 <Fox> So once you're in the Wake, and you or your essence
(?) is in the Dream, how does it feel?
00:55 <Cutter> It feels like you’re awake. Except, if you want a
gun you don’t need to go to a store. You just imagine one is
already in your hand.
00:56 <Fox> Would it work? Could you shoot someone in the
Dream?
00:56 <Cutter> It depends on your faculté.
00:56 <Fox> That’s the power you use in the Dream, right? Your
mind’s eye?
00:57 <Cutter> It has many names. Faculté is used to create and
change things within the Dream, something you can only do
when in the Wake.
00:57 <Fox> And everyone can do this?
00:58 <Cutter> To a degree. You get better over time. Some people
are better at some aspects than others.
00:58 <Fox> Aspects?
00:58 <Cutter> There are many things you can use your
faculté for. We call them aspects. For example, the
manifest aspect is how you summon a gun. The contact
aspect is used to fire it. The reject aspect is used to stop
a bullet from hitting you in the head. And so on.
00:59 <Fox> So you can just do anything in the Dream?
01:00 <Cutter> You can try.
01:00 <Cutter> But it isn’t easy. And it takes a toll.

6
FAC U LT É
Faculté is the term Drifters have coined for a source of power that can
be utilized while in the Wake. By tapping into these reserves of
mental or spiritual energy Drifters can manipulate the Dream in a
variety of ways. A Drifter’s faculté is used to perform different
ASPECTS.

There are six different aspects Drifters can perform: Audit, Construct,
Interact, Manifest, Reject and Subvert.

AUDIT: Analyze things within the Dream.

Drifters use audit to study the world around them and gain insight
into a subject’s condition, function, or potential.

CONSTRUCT: Make things using materials already in the Dream.

Drifters use construct to move, rotate and join inanimate objects that
are already present within the Dream.

CONTACT: Interact with objects, subjects and space within the

Dream.

Contact allows Drifters to ‘physically’ interact with things in the

Dream. They use this aspect to operate tools, including those which
have been manifested. This aspect is also used for all hand-to-hand
combat and advanced movement (leaping through obstacles, flying
over chasms, climbing up walls, etc.).

MANIFEST: Conjure something new into the Dream.

Drifters can create objects within the Dream. With great concentration
a Drifter can manifest an object into their hands or on their person.
Most commonly manifest is used to summon weapons. Drifters can
only manifest objects that they are familiar with in the Norm. A
manifested object will only work as intended if the Drifter has a
rudimentary understanding of how the object is constructed and
functions. This typically rules out complex machines and creations that
don’t exist in the Norm.

REJECT: Prevent something from harming you and your comrades.

When a Drifter is in danger and about to suffer strain, the reject

aspect can save them. This aspect is instinctual and often functions in
unexpected ways.

7
SUBVERT: Change things that are already in the Dream.

The most advanced aspect a Drifter can master is subvert. This aspect
can change the state of things within the Dream. It can freeze water,
heat metal and separate a Roach into billions of particles.

CHECKS
Drifters often use aspects without consequence, utilizing them as they
desire. The only time an aspect may not have the desired affect is
when a Drifter is in danger. If a Drifter wishes to use an aspect during
dangerous situations they must perform a check.

When a Drifter decides they want to act in a manner that involves

risk, the Observer telegraphs what might go wrong if they fail. Drifters
then pick the aspect they wish to use and roll the die that matches its
rating.

If a comrade helps, they also make a check, but share the same risks
as the initial Drifter. The highest roll represents the result of the
action.

Rolls are interpreted like so:

• 1-2 - A failure and something bad happens.

• 3-4 - A success, but at a cost.

• 5+ - A success. The higher the result, the better the effect.

Aspects can be extremely taxing on one’s faculté. After every check

the rating of that specific aspect is downgraded by one level: d12 »
d10 » d8 » d6 » d4. Aspect ratings cannot go lower than a d4.

The Observer can disclaim decision-making by testing for luck. To do

so, they pick a die rating simply based on the odds of a thing
happening, roll, and interpret the results.

TOUR DE FORCE
Drifters are highly skilled at operating within the Dream. On occasion
they are capable of pulling off incredible, mind-bending feats of skill
and voracity. Drifters call these special moves a TOUR DE FORCE.

To perform a tour de force, drifters use a d12 instead of an aspect

rating to do a check. Once used, drifters will need to use their
cynosure (Page 10) to use it again.

8
01:23 <Fox> Ok, I’m going to need further explanation here.
01:23 <Cutter> Few things are as important as our
cynosures. Without them we would all be lost.
01:23 <Fox> What are they?
01:23 <Cutter> They are different for everyone.
01:23 <Fox> That doesn’t help me. What’s yours?
01:24 <Cutter> Vivaldi.
01:24 <Fox> Come again?
01:25 <Cutter> Nisi Dominus. At Massey Hall. Wet leaves
clinging to the steps outside. When I think about that, I
know where I am. I know who I am.

9
CYNOSURES
To reset all their aspects to their original rating, Drifters must use their
cynosure. Using a cynosure provides a brief break in tension. It can be
done at any time, even during combat.

Cynosures remind Drifters where they are and provide absolute clarity
on whether they are in the Norm or in the Dream. A cynosure can be
a representation of a physical object the character carries with them
(like a locket or prayer beads) or it can be a mantra, moment or
feeling that is locked into their memory. No matter what it is, it is
deeply personal to the individual Drifter and something that centers
them physically, emotionally and spiritually.

After a Drifter uses their cynosure during a dangerous situation, the

Observer looks at the scene and introduces a new complication (for
example, a presumed dead enemy gets off one last shot).

TELESMAS
Drifters encounter and manifest many objects within the Dream. At
any time they can ATTUNE to an object and make it their telesma.
This process takes around ten minutes. When a Drifter turns an object
into their telesma they unlock their ability to use the object to its full
potential.

When appropriate, a telesma can be used in place of an aspect for

the purpose of a check. When a Drifter first creates a telesma it has a
d10 rating. It is downgraded by one die each time it is used for a
check. Once the rating of a telesma falls to d4 it can be used for one
more check before it disintegrates and can no longer be used.

A telesmas’ rating does not reset after a cynosure has been used. A
Drifter can only have one telesma at a time. A Drifter can break their
attunement to an object at any time. Doing so causes that object to
disintegrate.

10
STRAIN
When a Drifter sustains damage in the Dream, that damage is not
replicated on their physical body in the Norm. However, such damage
does cause strain on their um. And too much strain can lead to death.
Generally, if something would injure a physical body in the Norm, it
causes strain in the Dream.

When a Drifter takes damage, usually as a consequence of one of

their actions, the Observer can decide that they take 1 strain. If a
Drifter reaches 4 strain (the maximum they can take), they become
DISORIENTED.

When disoriented Drifters struggle to recognize where and who they

are. Disoriented Drifters also struggle to remember the significance of
their cynosures and thus cannot use them to replenish their aspect
ratings.

When disoriented, failing a check could mean becoming

UNTETHERED from the Wake. Catastrophic injuries, those which
would cause instant death in the Norm, often immediately untether a
Drifter from the Wake.

When a Drifter becomes untethered they lose either their connection

to the Norm or the Dream.

A Drifter who loses connection to the Dream

wakes up and cannot re-enter the Wake for 24
hours (a 21 Gun Salute before then would cause
a fatal overdose).

A Drifter who loses connection to the Norm is

lost forever. Their physical bodies die, but their
presence in the Dream remains. These presences
(or GHOSTS) forget their lives in the Norm and
everyone they knew there. They do not have
any perception of a reality that exists outside of
the Dream.

Players always decide whether they want their

Drifter to be untethered from the Dream or the
Norm.

Drifters can use a SALVE to clear 2 strain, or lay

low someplace secure to clear 1 strain. Salves
take many forms and appear throughout the
Dream. They can also be manifested.

11
01:49 <Cutter> So that’s the risk.
01:49 <Fox> Do you know anyone who has been untethered?
01:50 <Fox> From the Norm?
01:51 <Fox> ???
01:52 <Cutter> We all do.
01:52 <Fox> Do you ever see them again?
01:53 <Cutter> Of course.
01:53 <Cutter> In our dreams.
01:53 <Fox> Sounds awful.
01:55 <Cutter> Indeed.

12
KEYS
When the fiction allows it, Drifters can search for Keys.

Keys provide access to different areas within the Dream

and allow Drifters to locate, bypass and enter locations
without issue.

Keys can take many forms, but it is always obvious

which doors they belong to.

When a Drifter looks for Keys they roll a d12.

• On a 1, something bad happens.
• On a 2-9, they find things other than a Key.
• On a 10-12, they find a Key.

NIGHTMARES
One of the few things Drifters and MERIDIAN agree upon is how
terrifying it is to encounter a NIGHTMARE.

Nightmares are powerful and unpredictable entities that roam the

Dream. Some believe they are manifestations of collective trauma and
anxiety. Others liken them to antibodies. They can appear as anything,
but most often they look like roiling masses of vaguely recognizable
matter from the Norm.

Nightmares are capable of tearing through (and untethering) Drifters

and Roaches with ease. There have been rare instances of Drifters
destroying Nightmares. However, this seldom happens without solid
teamwork, good fortune and sacrifice.

It is impossible to communicate or reason with a Nightmare. They

likely have some form of intelligence, but it is unique and alien. What
drives them to act is unknown. However, they seem to target travelers
from the Wake.

Nightmares have some form of vision along with sensitive hearing

and an ability to detect the source of vibrations. Extremely loud noises
have been known to deter Nightmares.

Nightmares deal 4 strain whenever they are the target of a failed

check.

13
02:11 <Fox> A key, you mean like a lock and key?
02:12 <Cutter> Sometimes. I’ve seen mundane keys, card keys,
dongles, even keys that move and talk. It depends what
door they can open.
02:13 <Fox> And these keys, did MERIDIAN make them?
02:13 <Cutter> No.
02:14 <Fox> Do we make them?
02:14 <Cutter> No. Well, maybe.
02:14 <Fox> ???
02:16 <Cutter> The composition of the Dream, and the Norm
really, is unknown. Some say it is the work of God. Others
say it is the product of our collective mass
consciousness. Others say that this mass consciousness is
in fact God.
02:18 <Cutter> I used to think it was some kind of artificial
intelligence, but now I’m not so sure.
02:19 <Cutter> What matters is that the Dream is filled with
things that we can’t explain, some that help us and some
that harm us. It seems, to us, that whenever something is
manufactured in the Dream, like a beacon, there’s a
reverberation that causes other things to be created. So
for every door you create there, regardless how complex
it may be, a key will be made somewhere else.
02:20 <Cutter> We don’t make doors, though. We break them.
02:20 <Cutter> Even so, a key comes in handy sometimes.

14
T H E G A M E P L AY L O O P
WAKE is designed to be played using three phases and the following
sequence.

1. Briefing: The Observer leads the briefing and outlines a beacon

they have discovered within the Dream. The Observer describes the
possible challenges the Drifters may face and demonstrates any
equipment and devices that Drifters may need to manifest into the
Dream.

2. Mission: The Observer places the Drifters into the Wake and
communicates with them as they attempt to carry out their mission.

3. Debrief and downtime: After the Drifters are pulled out of the
Wake (usually via a pin prick on the finger) the mission is discussed.
Drifters then go about their lives before reconvening for another
briefing.

P L AY I N G I N T H E N O R M
WAKE is designed to be played with the vast majority of the
gameplay taking place within the Dream. Drifters’ activities in the
Norm are intended to be described briefly and involve inter-personal
role-play, not aspects and checks.

If a group wishes to include more robust gameplay involving their

characters in the Norm, it is recommended that they choose a
separate Breathless game to use in conjunction with this one.

Some games which could be used in this manner include:

• Breaking Through by Loreshaper Games

• Breathless by Fari RPGs
• Pax Americana by Loreshaper Games
• Renegades by Fari RPGs
• Resistance by Maps ‘N’ Quests
• Terminal Blackout by Loreshaper Games

15
MISSIONS
To generate missions for Drifters, Observers can use the Mission Table.
To build a mission it is recommended that the Observer choose or
randomly select a single beacon as the target of the mission. The
mission is considered successful if the Drifters destroy that beacon.
The Observer should then select a single location. This location is
where the beacon is placed. The locations have been discovered and
scouted somewhat by the Observer. Drifters begin their missions close
to these locations.

Finally, the Observer should generate what defenses the beacon has.
The Observer may select as many options they wish from the
‘Defended By’ list. The more they choose the harder the mission will
be.
MISSION TABLE
D20 BEACON LOCATION DEFENDED BY
1 Ancient skull Amongst a winding network of caves. D4 squads of roaches

2 Bank of computer At an oasis in a desert filled with shifting D6 squads of roaches

servers sands.
3 Battle worn flag At the centre of an underground D8 squads of roaches
labyrinth.
4 Bejeweled necklace Atop a bastion fort on a towering hill. Dead man’s switch

5 Bloodstained spear Covered in debris in the bombed out Decoy beacon

remains of a megacity.
6 Cheap karaoke Deep in a sweltering jungle. Double-agent
machine
7 Dizzying radio tower In a boneyard filled with vehicles that Force field
never were.
8 Dust covered tome In a city filled with ghosts. Gunship

9 Eerie player piano In a desolate valley of cracked hardpan. Human shields

10 Engraved stone Inside a satelite orbiting a planet. Mines

monolith
11 Evocative billboard Inside a shipwreck resting on the ocean Motion sensors
floor.
12 Fine terracotta vase Inside a tower block of infinite floors. Nightmare

13 Gleaming satellite Inside an immaculate palace surrounded Reinforced walls

dish by roses.
14 Grand sandglass Inside/aside a cabin hidden in a dense Roach rapid response
pine forest. squad
15 Greasy reel of film Nestled in a suburban neighbourhood. Roach rapid response
squad (elite)
16 Framed masterpiece On a black water swamp. Roach sniper nest

17 Ominous bell On a bridge shrouded in mist. Sentry guns

18 Perplexing mirror On a train that never stops moving. Squad of elite roaches

19 Unassuming laptop On an oil rig in the middle of a roaring Unmanned autonomous

sea. vehicles (medium)
20 Vintage modem Teetering on the edge of a frozen Unmanned autonomous
mountain. vehicles (small)

16
GLOSSARY
21 Gun Salute: The informal name for the drug cocktail Drifters take
in order to enter the Wake.

Aspect: A skill used within the Dream.

Attune: The process of bonding with an object, found or manifested,

that enables a Drifter to unlock its full potential.

Beacon: Landmarks in the Dream, created by MERIDIAN, which

influence the thoughts of the masses while they sleep.

Cynosure: A token, memory or thought that Drifters cling to and use

to remind themselves both where and who they are.

The Dawn Patrol: A decentralized group that is dedicated to

disrupting MERIDIAN at all costs.

Disoriented: What happens to Drifter that takes a lot of strain.

Drifter: A member of The Dawn Patrol. Someone who goes into the
Wake so they can fight MERIDIAN and destroy their beacons.

The Dream: A world people enter while they are asleep. Most
consider it pure fantasy. In reality, it is a living breathing world that
exists outside of all things physical.

Faculté: A source of power that Drifters carry with them into the
Dream. Drifters use this power to perform aspects.

Ghost: A Drifter who has been untethered from the Norm.

Guise: The appearance a Drifter adopts when in the Dream.

Keys: Mysterious artefacts of unknown origin, deployed across the

Dream. They can open both literal and figurative doors.

MERIDIAN: A collective of individuals who hold incredible amounts of

power and wealth in the Norm. Their power is drawn from
generations of exploitation, white supremacy and colonialization.
Thanks to their vast resources MERIDIAN has discovered how to erect
beacons within the Dream, which they use to influence the minds of
people in the Norm.

17
Nightmares: Mysterious and extremely dangerous entities that roam
the Dream.

The Norm: The physical or waking world.

Observer: Retired Drifters who recruit new members for The Dawn
Patrol. They administer the 21 Gun Salute and monitor Drifters while
they are in the Wake. Observers have great knowledge and insight
when it comes to the Dream and how best to strike at MERIDIAN.

Roach: A foot soldier who is trained by MERIDIAN and deployed into

the Dream, chiefly to protect beacons.

Salve: A cure-all for Drifters. They can appear as anything, though

mostly look like things which cure and soothe in the Norm. Using a
salve reduces strain on a Drifter.

Telesmas: A powerful object, either manifested or found, which a

Drifter has attuned to.

Tour de Force: A stunning display of skill performed by a Drifter while

in the Dream.

Um: A Drifter expression used as a catch-all word for the mind, ego,
soul and/or spirit.

Untethered: What happens when a Drifter takes too much strain. It

can result in death.

Vox Obscura: A way of speaking developed by Observers. It allows

them to communicate with Drifters while they are in the Dream.

The Wake: A state a Drifter achieves in order to become fully

cognizant while within the Dream.

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02:30 <Fox> Ok, I’m in.
02:31 <Fox> Cutter? I’m in.
02:32 <Fox> Are you there?
02:32 <Fox> Cutter?
02:36 Babylon has entered the chat.
02:36 Mistletoe has entered the chat.
02:36 Pantera has entered the chat.
02:36 Scoundrel has entered the chat.
02:36 Snow has entered the chat.
02:36 <Cutter> Come outside.
02:36 <Cutter> We’re waiting for you.

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WAKE CHARACTER SHEET
NAME:

NOM DE GUERRE:

PRONOUNS:

APPEARANCE:

GUISE:
Appearance Guise

ASPECTS
AUDIT d4 d6 d8 d10
CONSTRUCT d4 d6 d8 d10
CONTACT d4 d6 d8 d10
MANIFEST d4 d6 d8 d10
REJECT d4 d6 d8 d10
SUBVERT d4 d6 d8 d10
TELESMA( ) d4 d6 d8 d10
TOUR DE FORCE d12

CYNOSURE:

STRAIN: 1 2 3 4
DISORIENTED

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