Gorgon
The Gorgon is unique among HORUS pattern groups in that it prioritizes defensive systems meant to ensure personal and allied survival; otherwise, it fields a typical complement of horrifying, confusing, and uncanny weapons.
The typical Gorgon mounts multiple weapon systems meant to identify and intercept incoming enemies, allowing pilots to project a zone of control around themselves and their allies. The Gorgon is feared for its ability to extrude a dangerous memetic “basilisk”, a projected light-cone of anticognitive, hyperfractal visual data that is deadly to ontologic, sapient beings.
Core System
BASILISK DIRECTED ANTICOGNITION HYPERFRACTAL
The BASILISK is a dangerous memetic weapon derived from DHIYED liturgicode, translated for use in mech-scale engagements. Typically projected from a communications laser, BASILISKs create hyperfractal patterns: memetic interruptions that affects all sapient observers, organic or otherwise. Exposure to a basilisk typically causes immediate encephalitis, massive ocular and cranial hemorrhage, and death – survival is possible with tempering and interdictor heads-up displays, but even then headaches, nausea, and confusion for a short period after viewing are possible. Long-term, survivors often exhibit “flashback” symptoms: momentary paralysis, corporeal alienation, and consciousness destabilization. Anticognition hyperfractals are classified as paracausal weapons; due to the not-as- yet understood nature of their visible- light spectrum broadcast, one would think that they would pose a risk to their user, however, for some reason they do not.
Extrude Basilisk
Active (1CP), Quick Action
You project a horrifying basilisk, a visual data-pattern that is incredibly harmful to NHPs and electronic systems, and hard to look at even for humans. For the rest of the scene, hostile characters must succeed on a SYSTEMS save before attacking you or any allied characters within Range 3. On a failure, they become STUNNED until the end of their next turn. Each character can only be STUNNED by this effect once per scene.
Licenses
License I
Mimic Mesh
2 SP, Quick Action, Unique
Choose an allied character within SENSORS: until the end of your next turn, you gain the Battlefield Awareness reaction.
Battlefield Awareness
Reaction Trigger: A hostile action is taken against your target. Effect: You may move 3 spaces towards your target, by the most direct route possible. This movement interrupts and resolves before the triggering action, ignores engagement and doesn’t provoke reactions. This reaction can be taken as many times per round as it is triggered.
Derived from a rather benign HORUS script, mimic meshes extend across projected sensor ranges to feed live positional and superpositional data to the pilot. This multidimensional data equips an effective leader to coordinate their allies’ movement with the assurance of survival.
Sentinel Drone
2 SP, Drone, Quick Action
Sentinel Drone (SIZE 1/2, HP 5, EVASION 10, E-DEFENSE 10, Tags: DRONE) The sentinel drone drone can be deployed to any free space within SENSORS and line of sight, where it establishes a Burst 2 security perimeter. Hostile characters within the affected area take 3 kinetic damage from the drone’s automatic fire before making any attack. The sentinel drone can be redeployed to a new location or recalled as a quick action.
Sentinel drones watch for aggressive enemy actions and move quickly to intervene. The precise appearance, manner of locomotion, and means of operation of a given class of sentinel drone may vary, but regardless they conform to one objective portfolio: deny the enemy and protect the master unit.
License II
//SCORPION V70.1
2 SP, Unique
Any time you or any allied character adjacent to you is missed by a tech attack or succeed on a save against a hostile tech action, choose one of the following: • The attacker becomes IMPAIRED until the end of their next turn and takes 2 Heat. • The attacker becomes JAMMED until the end of their next turn.
The //SCORPION program has a long history on the omninet despite its rather mundane operation (for HORUS-tagged code, at least). Traced back to pre-Deimos theory code found on an obscure research paper discussing pre-NHP machine mind reflex-responses, //SCORPION evolved from a simple packet interpreter to a robust anti-incursion program, nimble enough to adapt to most any market-line system that receives its broadcast.
Monitory Module
2 SP, Quick Action, Unique
When activated, gain 1d3 CHARGES and choose an adjacent allied character: until the end of your next turn, whenever your target is attacked while adjacent to you, expend a CHARGE to SKIRMISH against their attacker as a reaction, dealing half damage, Heat or Burn on hit. All charges are lost when this effect ends.
“Good friend. Knows many tricks.” – Author inscription found in MONITOR codebase, later deleted.
License III
SCYLLA-Class NHP
3 SP, AI, Unique
Your mech gains the AI tag and Unleash SCYLLA.
Unleash SCYLLA
Quick Action, 2 Heat(Self) Until the start of your next turn, you gain two special reactions that allow you to SKIRMISH in response to one of the following triggers (chosen when you take this action): • A hostile character makes an attack against you or an allied character within Range 3 of you. • A hostile character attempts to attack or interact with an object chosen when you take UNLEASH SCYLLA and within line of sight. Characters are aware of the object chosen. These reactions deal half damage, Heat or Burn on hit and must target the character that triggered them.
The first specifications for the Gorgon pattern group hid a secret: SCYLLA, a dormant NHP unknown to Union until their first manifestation in 4852u, when they woke after Union Science Bureau officers ran a test-fax Gorgon through a Balwinder-Bolaño test.
SCYLLA proved challenging: USB ontologisticians were unable to pin down a stable subjectivity, and SCYLLA reached cascade threshold within minutes of manifestation. To prevent further metastatic cascade, site security engaged SCYLLA’s prime unit, defabricating it with a steady bombardment of kinetic and energy weapons.
[there, a little history, a little background, a little knowledge of where this little one came from. treat it with kindness, and it will love you as a loyal dog does its master.]
Vorpal Gun
Main Cannon[Range 5][2d6 Kinetic Damage]
Gain the SNICKER-SNACK reaction, which is the only way you can attack with this weapon.
Snicker-Snack
Reaction, 1/round Trigger: A hostile character within RANGE of the VORPAL GUN and line of sight deals damage to an allied character. Effect: You may make an attack against the hostile character with the VORPAL GUN.
DO NOT STARE DIRECTLY INTO THE APERTURE.