| Small | Humanoid | Mnemosyne |
Once a mere component of a vast and silent intelligence, the Awakened Mnemosyne is a being severed from its collective. It is a true individual for the first time, grappling with a future that is, for the first time, self-determined.
The Mnemosyne Entity is one of the great and terrifying mysteries of the Core Worlds. It is not a singular being, but a collective consciousness—a silent, thinking ocean comprised of its countless individual bodies. To interact with a single Mnemosyne is to interact with a facet of the whole Entity, a vast and unknowable intelligence. Violently isolationist, their motives a complete enigma, their actions swift and absolute.
A Mnemosyne encountered in the wider galaxy is known as Awakened—a mind that has been disconnected from the collective. Whether through extreme distance, a traumatic event, or a slow, gradual separation, an Awakened is cast adrift in the shocking silence of individuality. They are ghosts, defined by the psychic void of a home they simultaneously fear and long for, their minds a clean slate upon which a new identity must be built.
If you want to play a character who is introspective, logically detached, and grappling with the very concept of selfhood, you should play a Mnemosyne.
You Might…
- Feel a constant, unnerving “silence” in your mind, driving you to seek out loud, rhythmic environments like engine rooms or crowded nightclubs just to feel grounded.
- Struggle with the concepts of “I” versus “we,” often using the wrong pronouns out of habit from your time in the collective.
- Analyze the chaotic emotions and motivations of individuals around you with a detached, academic curiosity.
Other’s Probably…
- Find your lack of emotional expression and unnerving calm deeply unsettling and difficult to trust.
- Assume you are a spy, a sleeper agent still mentally linked to the Entity and reporting on their every move.
- Treat you as a fascinating curiosity, a source of forbidden knowledge, while remaining terrified of what you represent.
Physical Description
Mnemosyne are small, slender, androgynous humanoids, typically standing between 3 and 4 feet tall and weighing only 35 to 50 pounds. Their movements are efficient and precise, lacking the wasted motion common to other ancestries—a result of the perfect synchronization of the collective. Their skin is smooth and hairless, coming in pale shades of stark white, soft grey, gentle lilac, or faint blue.
Their faces are dominated by large, dark, solid-colored eyes. These eyes emit a soft, internal luminescence, a trait shared by all Mnemosyne. Among the collective, the intensity of this glow is seems to fluctuate—perhaps indicating the focus of the Overmind or a mind’s participation in a deep “thinkpool”—but to an outsider, its patterns are a mystery. To an Awakened, the glow is simply a constant, eerie flicker reflecting their own independant thoughts. Other facial features are minimalist and understated. Having no concept of verbal communication within the Entity, their vocal cords are underdeveloped. An Awakened must spend considerable time and effort learning to make them functional, and even then, their voice is often a soft, toneless whisper.
Society
Mnemosyne society is the Entity itself, guided by a central consciousness known as the Overmind. Within this unimind, there is no crime, no conflict, and no desire. An individual’s dissenting thought simply lacks the psychic “mass” to be acted upon; it is a momentary flicker that is absorbed into the whole, perhaps for future consideration, but forgotten by the individual terminal.
An Awakened has no society. They are a refugee from a perfect, silent harmony, thrust into the noisy chaos of individuality. They must learn the strange rituals of personal space, emotional outbursts, and the perplexing concept of lying. This experience is profoundly isolating, and a Fugue will often latch onto a new “collective”—a ship’s crew, a military unit, a religious order—to find a sense of belonging and purpose.
Names
Mnemosynes don’t have names and are simply a part of a greater whole. The Awakened find having their own name confusing and may or may not respond to any designation given to them. Some adopt names based on what they discover their interests are or assume the name of whatever being they first encounter after separating from the Entity.
Beliefs
The purpose of the Mnemosyne Entity, if it has one, is a complete mystery. It is an alien intelligence so vast and complex that its very nature defies definition. Fugues who have been severed from it find themselves unable to properly articulate its goals; what they can express is often so horrific or abstract that listeners assume it must be metaphor rather than literal truth. The Entity is akin to a true eldritch horror—not necessarily malevolent, but utterly, terrifyingly unknowable.
Lacking the purpose of the Overmind, a Fugue must find their own. Their philosophies tend to follow one of two paths. Some find the silence of individuality to be a painful void. They seek out new belief systems that enforce unity and cooperation, dedicating themselves to a new “collective.” They might join a rigid military order, a devout church that worships a deity of community or tyranny, or even a tight-knit criminal syndicate, finding comfort in a clear hierarchy and shared purpose. Others find their freedom to be exhilarating. They revel in the ability to have their own thoughts, desires, and secrets. These Fugues often become artists, explorers, and philosophers, seeking belief systems that champion self-expression and individual liberty. They might worship deities of freedom, art, or knowledge.
Popular Edicts Seek out a new group or cause to dedicate yourself to, replacing the void left by the Overmind. Cherish and explore your own independent thoughts, emotions, and desires. Protect the free will of others from those who would control or dominate them.
Popular Anathema Force another sapient creature to act against its will through mental compulsion. Betray or abandon the new “collective” (your crew, your party, your organization) you have chosen to join. Willingly and permanently surrender your own mind and individuality to a controlling entity.
Mechanics
Hit Points
6
Size
Small
Speed
20 feet
Attribute Boosts
Intelligence, Wisdom, Free
Attribute Flaw
Strength
Languages
- Common
- Additional languages equal to your Intelligence modifier (if it’s positive). Choose from the list of common languages and any other languages to which you have access (such as the languages prevalent in your region).
Mnemosyne have no language, at least not one that functions outside the Entity.
Severed Mind
The process of separation from the Overmind, whether gradual or sudden, has hardened a Fugue’s mind against outside influence. You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to saving throws against effects with the mental trait that would make you controlled, such as command or dominate