Naga Fragment Symbiote

Based on: Warstrider series of novels by William H. Keith Jr.

The Naga are an ancient alien race that has inhabited earth for countless millennia. One of their most unusual "powers" is an almost molecular control over matter.

Their bodies are made up of "cells" that are actually organic nano-tech machines. This allows them to manipulate matter almost at will. They can shape substances into virtually any desired shape, or alter the object's basic structure itself. This gives them a versatility and power possibly greater than any other known race in the Megaverse.

(Note: Were the Gene-Splicers or several other races to discover the Naga or about their powers, they would almost certainly see them as competition. However, this is very unlikely to happen anytime soon. Gabriel City is attempting to keep all information regarding the Naga confined, at least for the time being.)

The ability to wield this power, though, was severely limited until recently. The Naga are a very strange race by most standards. The only truly intelligent Naga are enormous entities massing hundreds or thousands of metric tons. The largest Nagas, the planetary Nagas, mass literally millions of tons, and are vastly intelligent. However, the incredible majority of Naga are actually fragments of a planetary Naga. These mass anywhere from one kilo up to a few hundred kilos. These fragments are basically mindless robots only able to function as they were "programed" by their parent. Therefore only the truly massive Nagas can actually use these manipulative powers in any intelligent or constructive way.

However, with the recent "alliance" between Gabriel City and the Naga, things have changed considerably. After initial research was conducted by Gabriel and Archangel Heavy Industries scientists, it was found that Naga fragments could be "instructed" by humans or D-Bees. The first proof of this was, of course, Captain Christian Edwards.

Captain Edwards was the individual who initially made contact with the Naga. Through his contact with it, the war was stopped and countless lives were saved. When he returned to human forces it was found that he had been "altered" by the Naga. When the Naga had found him, he had been mortally wounded. The Naga didn't recognize that he was wounded, but it did recognize that he was presently not in his normal state (healthy). It went about correcting this. In the process it realized that his design (the human body) was inefficient in some places. It took it upon itself to correct some of these problems. It also decided to "implant" a kilo-sized fragment into his body. This was so that if he ever became inefficient again (i.e. wounded, etc.) the fragment could fix it. Not until later tests and experiments were run would Edwards realize what else the fragment could do.

It was eventually discovered that the Naga fragment instilled great "powers" over his body to Captain Edwards. He could change features of his body at will as well as heal wounds incredibly fast. It was also discovered that Edwards' headjack computer link had been replaced with a techno-organic construct by the fragment. With concentration, he could make it appear or disappear at will. He also found that he could make similar interface devices appear on other parts of his body if needed, such as a fingerjack and interfaces on his wrist or arm.

The scientists were understandably both amazed and repelled by these powers. The fragment had turned Edwards into some kind of alien. However, after rigorous testing and experiments no true negative side effects (apart from a larger appetite) of the fragment symbiote itself could be found.

A few of the "powers" granted by the fragment, though, did seem to have mild side effects. Edwards' basic intelligence capacity had been increased by the planetary Naga by increasing the interconnectivity of the two halves of his brain. It was found that this altered Edwards' personality somewhat, making him colder and less emotional; more like a machine. His military superiors actually looked upon this as a positive change. Regardless, it was found that this change was one of the only changes that was non-reversible. To reduce the connections again would have driven Edwards insane beyond all reason.

Regardless of the limitations or any negative effects, Gabriel City officials and Gabriel Defense Force (GDF) commanders have decided to initiate a small test group of people "enhanced" with the symbiote. This group includes not only military personnel (although they are the majority), but also civilians such as scientists. Through this group, they are learning even more about the capabilities imbued by the fragment symbiote.

The actual bonding process for the fragment is somewhat strange. First a one to two kilo fragment is budded off of a planetary Naga. This ensures that the symbiote has the basic "template" for the host body "programmed" into it. The fragment is then placed in the palm of the host's hand. The fragment sinks into the hand, which most people find the sight quite disturbing. Once inside the host's body, it spreads out into all areas of the body, from the brain to the feet. Recipients have described the experience anywhere from painful to euphoric. The actual bonding and synchronization of systems takes approximately 2 or three hours. After this, all abilities listed below are available.

The process has so far been successfully implemented on humans and a number of other races and D-Bees.

It is also possible to "terminate" the symbiotic relationship. This can be done at virtually any time. However for anyone who has been in the relationship for a fairly long time (over several months), counseling is highly recommended. Suddenly losing powers that the person may have instinctively come to rely on can be traumatic. Therefore, counseling both before and after the symbiosis is terminated is required.

(GM Note: The Naga fragments instill great powers to the "host". Some people might consider it munchkin. However, I think it just opens up lots of new ROLE-playing opportunities. Be careful who you let use the symbiote, though; give it to a role-player, not a power-gamer.)

Powers of the Naga Fragment Symbiote

  1. Communications: One of the most important powers granted by the symbiote deals with communication. By physically touching (skin-to-skin) another being the character can "mentally" communicate with the being. This is similar in some ways to telepathy.

    2. There are limitations, though. Very alien species will have more difficulty just from the fact that the Naga presents ideas to you in your own language. If the character's language or thought processes have no equivalent for something, it will be very hard to translate. The symbiote allows communication at (100-2D6)%.

  2. Healing: The Naga symbiote helps heal the character's body. This is accomplished at 1D6 HP or SDC per thirty minutes. It also provides the following bonuses:
  3. Physical Alteration: The symbiote can actually physically alter the structure of the character. This can be anything from changing facial features to growing webbed toes. Below is only a partial list of possibilities. Use your imagination, but everything must be OK'd by the GM. Note that this is an incredibly useful ability for spies or the like.

    4. Limitations: The actual change takes 1D4+1 minutes to accomplish. Also, for larger changes, extra food must be eaten before-hand to supply the needed building material to the symbiote. The changes only last for a limited time: 2 hours per level of character OR 1 hour for every month that the character and fragment have been bonded. (This is GM's choice. I like the second method better.) Regardless, the maximum time is 24 hours. You cannot change form again for the same period of time that you were last changed; i.e. if you had claws for 4 hours, you could not gain anything else for 4 hours after the claw effect ended.

  4. Cybernetic Emulation: The symbiote can create techno-organic equivalents to several cybernetic systems. These include:
  5. Temporary Attribute Changes: By modifying parts of the body's basic structure, the symbiote can change several physical attributes:

    6. Limitations: The actual change takes 1D4+1 minutes to accomplish. The changes only last for a limited time: 2 hours per level of character OR 1 hour for every month that the character and fragment have been bonded. (This is GM's choice. I like the second method better.) Regardless, the maximum time is 24 hours. You cannot alter an attribute again for the same period of time that you were last changed; i.e. if you had increased PS for 4 hours, you could not gain anything else for 4 hours after the increased PS effect ended.

  6. Permanent Intelligence Change: The symbiote can also increase the host's basic intelligence by increasing the interconnectivity of the brain and adding brain mass to it. However, this has caused side effects in ALL subjects who have undergone this modification. All subjects experience a change in their personality; they become more distant, cold, and much less emotional. It is harder for friends and relatives to relate to them. Regardless of the risks, a few subjects have elected to undergo this change. Increase intelligence by 1D6+3. Note that this is also a permanent change. There is no way to reverse the process. Any attempt to reverse the process will result in the subject losing all grip on reality. They will go completely insane and will be unable to function in any part of society.

  7. Drawbacks and Restrictions: There are, however, drawbacks to entering into a symbiotic relationship with a Naga fragment. First off is the simple fact that there is an alien being in your body. Many people will react negatively when they learn that you have a symbiote.

    8. Also, it is a symbiotic relationship. That means that you give something to the fragment. In this case it is not only nourishment in the form of part of your food, but the Naga for some reason absorbs part of a person's PPE.. The reason for this is not known since the Naga seem to have no need for this. Regardless of the reason, though, it happens. Reduce the rate that you regain lost PPE and the current PPE pool by half. This is due to the fact that the fragment is "absorbing" some of the energy.

    Perhaps the greatest drawback has only recently been discovered. Gabriel City scientists have now realized that the symbiotic relationship for some reason speeds up the aging process slightly. Test subjects appear to age approximately 15% faster than normal.

By Chris Curtis (curtis@thepentagon.com).