Crucible
Someone call for a cleaner?
When I was a kid, I liked playing with fire. I’d steal dad’s matches and sit out in the woods, lighting small piles of brush. I sat and stared, it's like art in motion. Dad got pissed, naturally. He laid into me one night when I nearly burned the house down. I kept it under wraps for a while, but then I met her. Liza liked the fire too. I met her in my senior year, we’d sneak out late, start fires in dumpsters or wherever else. It didn't matter where. To say we were soul mates wouldn't cover it. We got married, spent many nights over the years watching our fires till the sun peeked over the horizon. Then earlier this year, the news covered a strange outbreak. They called it Charlotte Fever. It spread throughout North Carolina with no signs of stopping. She died a few months ago, and I never got over it. I still have her ring on a chain around my neck, never able to remove my own from my finger. The therapist called it “survivor's guilt,” but she didn't get it. I could still see her, literally, every time I stared into the flames. Got arrested for starting fires after that. I served some time, and the moment I got out you can imagine the first thing I did. She spoke to me. I gathered some trash, lit it ablaze, and the woman in the flames actually talked this time. She said my name, made me an offer. How could I say “no” to my own wife? Crucible found me soon after. That's all you need to know, all that matters anyway. Liza spoke from the flames, the situation was getting worse. I donned my gear, entered the quarantine zone outside of Charlotte where the fever began. I don't care if it isn't her, she’s given me vengeance. That counts for something, right?
Our Covid-19 predicament here in reality sparked a sudden realization: how does The Web handle sickness? Not solely the normal diseases, which are scary enough. How do these people handle contagions far more bizarre than the standard threat that looms over us in our everyday lives. The answer? Call sanitation.
Crucible is an organization only called when it is needed. You won't meet its members out in the field, fighting the good fight. If you do… I regret to inform you that you're likely part of their problem. Crucible is the first and last line of defense against any pseudo-paranormal threats that involve infection, disease, and hazardous waste. They are scientists, medical experts, and sanitary workers carefully selected by The Chiron Group.
They operate outside of Chiron, large enough and possessing the means to act as a full fledged organization. Crucible knows not all monsters can be fought with lead and steel. They study, contain, and if need be, purge these threats from existence.
The Fires of The Crucible
Members of Crucible are men and women who have a deep hatred of disease. They are paranoid pyromaniacs, arsonists who use their hate to literally fan their flames. Members of the crucible are only called when needed, operating as sleeper agents. They live somewhat normal lives until they are called to action.
Once activated, they retrieve their gear, and head to the quarantine zone, prepared to burn the infection away. Their fire doesn't simply burn, but purges the infection from the body. Patients will writhe in agony, only to emerge good as new after the fact.
They have a unique connection to fire, and this connection is mutual. While unable to manipulate and conjure flames, they can use many rituals of pyromancy and appear to influence the flames they use to sanitize infected areas. While they may appear to have control over fire. This is an illusion. The flames are actually alive.
History
The Crucible wouldn't be a true organization till the early 90s, but their origins go much further back. The first trace of what they would become emerged from the civil war. Doctors working on wounded soldiers found disease impossible to handle.
With little in the way effective sterilization, and next to no equipment to begin with. They were forced to make due. Then came Dr. Laurence Douglas. Douglas was a famed occultist, many believing him to be a holy man capable of healing the most lethal of wounds with nothing more than flames.
The soldiers would scream for hours as he worked. The tents were avoided, many suspecting foul play until the soldiers would emerge from the tent. Their screams of agony turned to joy as they emerged miraculously recovered.
A lifelong enemy
Douglas disappeared when the war ended, only.appearing again in New York City. The year is 1897. The government works to cover up a remarkably dangerous infection outside a small apartment building on the street of Little Water. Anyone who even attempted to enter would immediately be infected by a disease that seems to have a sense of its own existence. It did not wait for its victims to stumble across it. It actively sought them out.
Douglas arrived and went to work, but found this to be no ordinary malady. For the next 30 years, he traveled across the world, following the outbreak as they occurred. He could eliminate the virus using his gifts, but it would always return, rebounding from extinction. He called it “The Five Point Pathogen” and it would be a lifelong fight for Douglas to keep it contained.
Douglas couldn't continue the fight, having reached a ripe old age. He instead taught another, who taught another, and so on. All this was done to ensure the survival of humanity. As time went on, the numbers of those capable of harnessing these gifts would grow until in the 90s, when the Crucible officially joined The Web. How else could one stop a disease that won't stay cured?
Ignis Medical
When Crucible officially established itself as an organization, it based its operation around Ignis Medical, a corporation that produces many cutting edge forms of protective equipment and pharmaceutical goods. Ignis produces the vast majority of Crucible’s equipment.
The Five Point Pathogen
The five point pathogen is the true enemy of The Crucible. They eradicate it with efficiency, only to have it resurface years later. The pathogen is unlike any other, acting as both a virus, fungal infection, bacterial infection, and a parasite simultaneously. It mutates regularly, ruins the body of its victims, and then sprouts a gorgeous black flower from the corpse. The flower releases the contagion into the air.
Once released, the contagion will actively search for others to infect, making use of changes in the air, water, and living things to spread itself. It can change its own symptoms with every infection, able to emulate any horrible ailment that assails the world.
The only universal symptom experienced is audible hallucinations. Once infected, the victim will always report hearing screams in their head. Sometimes the victim can sometimes understand these screams, an indication that the infection has spread too far and the victim will soon be dead.
The Arsonists of Crucible
Arsonists are dangerous. Their hatred unhinges them, and they devote themselves to the flame. They are pyromaniacs who wish to cure the disease that is disease. They know it isn't possible, but they are obsessed. The arsonists are a force only called when needed for a reason. The only time they are found outside of a quarantine zone is in Eberstark Unions, but finding one stable enough is rare. This doesn't mean it's impossible. They can be playable characters, but will always walk a line between their obsession and their duty.
Many live normal lives, but under the surface is that burning desire. Their families, if they are stable enough to have them, know little to nothing of their side jobs. When they are called, they get to let loose. Anything goes when The Web declares an area a quarantine zone. All restrictions are lifted. The moment they cross the border from the world outside, they may as well be entering their own playground.
They won't attack anyone who obviously isn't affected by what they are fighting. They still seek to preserve life. It is always best to not get in their way when they indulge in their vengeance. Despite your best efforts, you may still find yourself in their path. You may be escorted from the zone in peace and safety, but I still wouldn't cough or sneeze around them if I were you.
Inner Demons
The arsonists of Crucible are filled with hate, and this hatred attracts something. Every member experiences it differently. They lose someone close or witness the devastation an outbreak can cause. An entity then approaches them, a fire demon, spirit, or even higher powers, that offer them solace. Their hatred creates a mutual obsession.
Members of crucible bind themselves to these entities of fire. Don't misunderstand. They don't sell their souls. They literally bind themselves into a single being, one with two conscious minds. The two obsess over each other, believing them to be the most beautiful thing in the world. It's less a classic case of selling your soul, and more like a sordid love affair. These inner demons are the source and mind behind the flames used by agents of Crucible.
These entities truly love their hosts, so much so that they refuse to allow their hosts to feel the touch of flame. Members are immune to fire in every way, surrounding themselves in a raging inferno that kills any contagion in the area. They can also see visions in fire. This is how they learn where quarantine zones are well before they are called.
Gifts From Beyond
On top of their standard gear, each agent of Crucible is given unique gifts by the entities that they bond with.
- Immunity: Every agent is immune to burning of any kind. No amount of heat can harm them. They are also immune to any form of sickness. They won’t even experience allergies. The entity can literally burn the problem out of them before it takes hold, passing the fire through their host. Before you ask, yes, you can throw them into the sun, and they would not melt due to heat, but the heat will be the least of their concerns at that point.
- A Helping Hand: While the agent cannot manipulate flames, these entities can. The entities can detect any contagions using their metaphysical nature, and purge them from the environment. This would require using an Ignis Candle, and an Ignis Rifle. The entity cannot conjure flames and must be temporarily released from its host using the candle, and then it can manipulate flames produced by the rifle. When active, the entity and the agent must work together harmoniously to reach maximum efficiency. They instinctively understand each other's thoughts, able to instantly coordinate efforts and warn each other of threats.
Tools and Protocols
The members of Crucible have many tools at their disposal. These tools are all designed to make their jobs as easy as possible. From protective equipment to a specially designed weapon, their gear is unique to them. Without their metaphysical companions, the members of crucible couldn't make use of their gear.
- Ignis Gloves: This form of PPE is designed to self sanitize, using the connection between the agent and the entity that they bond with. The gloves are made of a flame resistant, nonporous, polymer that can retain and exchange heat easily. When the entity is released using an Ignis Candle, the candle will take excess heat and send it to the gloves every hour. This causes them to glow white-hot for a few seconds, only to disperse the heat quickly in the surrounding air. Within seconds after sanitization, the gloves are safe to touch.
- Ignis Suits: The suit has many air tight layers to protect agents from harm. It is also used on uninfected survivors in a quarantine zone as the layers provide protection in case of a tear. These suits have many compartments attached to them. The suit is modular and contains many attachment rigs that allow the agent to prepare for each operation as needed. This equipment is stored in collapsable Ignis Crates.
- Ignis Crates: Ignis crates are collapsable boxes composed of a pliant glass that is both dense and durable while still being lightweight. When collapsed, they appear as a thin sheet of tinted glass. An agent will have up to 20 different sheets, each for a specific purpose, stored in a box on their lower back. Each box can expand and can fit on any attachment on the Ignis Suit. This allows for medical equipment, other conventional weapons, hazardous material, ammunition for Ignis rifles, and oxygen supplies to easily be stored.
- Ignis Masks: An Ignis mask is designed to repel any possible contamination from entering the body, it can cover the mouth and nose, and comes with a detachable covering for the eyes. It blocks both fumes and particles using two distinct filters that work in tandem to filter out incoming air. It is also often attached to a reserve of oxygen for low oxygen environments. This allows the agent to maintain efficiency when the bonded entity is released, as the flames will rob the air of oxygen over time.
- Ignis Candle: The candle is a small tetrahedron attached to the agent's person. The candle will allow for the entity bonded with the agent to temporarily separate themselves, inhabiting nearby flames. The candle glows red when in use and can only be used if a fire is within 100 ft of it. This is the effective rage of the candle and should either the agent or the entity move beyond that range, both will be forced together again. The candle has a metaphysical link with both all other forms of Ignis equipment. Think of it as an invisible wire that allows the candle to connect with the equipment.
Ignis Rifles
The Ignis Rifle is the primary weapon of every agent in Crucible. Essentially its one part automatic rifle and one part flamethrower. The rifle uses the candle to turn every round into an incendiary bullet, and the flame-throwing capabilities should be obvious at how they are used. There are many forms of ammunition used for different situations.
- Cryaotic Capsules: Cryo caps are loaded and, when fired, produce flames that rob heat instead of raising it. They freeze the surrounding environment to temperatures as low as -120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is used for many reasons, including slowing down the spread of certain contagions or gathering samples. Other than this, it is rarely used.
- Incendiary Capsules: Incendiary caps release a highly flammable solution that catches fire a few seconds after it oxidizes. It is often used to cover large areas in a fire, particularly if the contamination is highly mobile.
- Napalm Capsules: A refined, thickened form of napalm is used as the primary form of ammunition for the rifle. The fuel is heavily designed to eliminate waste, allowing it to be stored in capsules loaded in the rifle. It shoots a constant stream of flames up to 30 feet. The spread can easily reach as far as 60, though this may take away how effective the ammunition can be.
Explosives
On top of their other tools, arsonists of Crucible employ explosives.
- Thermite charges: Thermite is used when an agent needs a small and controlled burst of high heat, up to 3,500 degrees. This is used to breach closed off areas, open containers, and welding. This tool is also effective for laying traps.
- Other Explosives: Crucible uses C4 sparingly. There are few occasions where such powerful explosions are needed. Most agents do not carry C4, opting to use explosives of their own design or grenades instead. While fragmentation grenades are never used, Crucible often employs incendiary grenades and flash grenades.
Outfitting Protocol
Every member has a specially designed suit with modular components that can be removed or put on depending on the needs of a given situation. There are three levels of outfitting: Partial, Full, and Heavy. Each variant can temporarily separate the member from the entity within, allowing the entity to operate independently of the member.
Partial Outfitting:
When an operation calls for partial outfitting, it means the illness spreads slowly or is difficult to catch compared to others. It can also mean the member is already immune to the illness or there is no illness at all, and instead there is a form of hazardous waste that needs little more than gloves and a specially designed mask for protection. A lighter, less restrictive form of outfitting is more beneficial in these cases. Generally, the only equipment needed are self sanitizing gloves and an Ignis Mask.
Full Outfitting:
Full outfitting is the most common form of outfitting protocol in crucible. The vast majority of all operations will call for full outfitting. This includes all forms of gear in partial outfitting but adds an Ignis hazmat suit to the required personal protective equipment, or PPE. This will prevent exposure from any contaminant in the area, and serves as the go to protocol for quarantine zones where the source of contamination is unclear. This also comes with several forms of combat armor designed to protect the agent in case of equipment failure and enemy fire if it is present.
Heavy Outfitting:
This form of outfitting is only used for particular situations. Use of heavy outfitting only occurs when specific contaminants are present in the quarantine zone, especially, The Five Point Pathogen. This form of outfitting replaces all previous gear with a heavily modified variant. Some contagions, labeled as “living contagions,” can tear into standard forms of PPE and travel with crucible agents out of the quarantine zone undetected. Each contagion on the list has its own set of gear used. In the case of Five Point, the gear is made of pliant glass. This new technology from Ignis Medical resists the attempts of The Five Point Pathogen to break through, and is easy to keep clean.
The first thing I saw? Bodies. Lots of bodies scattered about the place. The fever kills rapidly. It kills even faster if someone's in a panic. It wasn't what Crucible usually dealt with, but I couldn't resist. I loaded a capsule into the rifle, pulled the trigger, and the smell of napalm blended with the charred flesh, melting plastic, and burnt metal. The candle lit up and I felt her leave me. It felt like I was missing something, like I was empty. I could sense her traveling between the flames, but I longed to see her. She indicated a building needed to be purged, and I stepped inside to obey.
I sensed the disease all around me, sprayed the flames while screaming at the top of my lungs. She giggled. The joyous laughter brought a smile to my face. I couldn't remember what it sounded like till then. The building burned, the flames eating away at the fabric furniture. It ate through drywall, slowly consuming the wooden frame. I stared into the inferno as it worked. A form appeared before me: a woman forged of sparks and cinder.
Liza emerged from the storm. She embraced me. I thought about resisting, but only for a moment. We kissed, just like we did before she died. She ripped my mask off, her hand brushed my cheek, and I know it sounds crazy, but the flames didn't hurt at all...
"Douglas disappeared when the war ended, only.appearing again in New York City. The year is 1897. " Maybe fix this as "Douglas disappeared when the war ended, only to reappear in New York City in 1897." or something similar. The -tense is a bit odd in that paragraph. I like the cryoflame idea; i might want a subclass that specializes in that or something. If you don't have time to kill a disease-ridden place, just lock it down with ice, perhaps transferring the heat to your next target if you're using magic. I like how each of your web organizations has it's own area of expertise and agenda. The black betties are very different from the pillow for guys who are different from the magic university who are different from the crucible. What happens if a Crucible pyro goes rouge? Say a kid in the infected zone reminded him of his deceased daughter so he let her go and got himself fired? (no pun intended) Does he now just wander the world with his demon buddy setting things on fire? Does the demon leave? What about people who bond with fire demons who've never heard of the crucible? I love the idea of thermite charges just melting down a door, like when the stormtroopers board the Tantive IV at the beginning of A New Hope. Maybe if you had enough you could make a ring in the floorboards for an impromptu trap-door. Thermite is just fun. What if some guy collected five-point flowers after they released their pollen? Would they still be dangerous?
Oooooo thank ya for this. Self quarantine sucks. lol ill rephelrase that. yours sounds much better. There are cold flame specialists, so that's possible. Locking down a location for further study or, ahem, sterilazation, has happened a time or two. Almost every organization in The Web answers a question, in this case how does the web handle things too small for a bullet to put it down. The black betties are an answer to how do small groups get coordinated when authorities fail to deal with or understand the problem they face. Oxenfree, the pillow fort guys, are an answer to what happens when multiversal and metaphysical junk gets involved. The university is where The Web began. I remember watching Dracula and saw van helsing pull out a massive tome of vampire lore and all I could think was, "who in the hell wrote that book and how?" In rpg terms, I wanted everyone to have a role but I also wanted each organization to bring so much in the way of role play and lore that its be hard to stick with just one group. "ill do an arsonist this time but oh wait, oxenfree looks cool" line of thinking. Your questions are awesome. arsonists dontt get fired, if they go rouge, they are either put down, severing their connection to the demon, or they get psychic surgery from the magicians at carthage. It's definitely an interesting role play scenario though. May wanna test that out at some point. Others who bond but are not in crucible usually try to lay low or end up being baddies. Over time, it becomes clear the darker side of the world is much bigger, even if you don't know anything about it. The thermite ideas you have are not only valid but encouraged. It's one of the best perks of this character. You don't need a thief. Lemme just make a hole. Now five point is dangerous. You won't get close enough to the flower to pick it, or if you do, the virus let you do it to spread more. The pollen only stops spreading when the body is fully decomposed, then the flower repurposes itself, slowly crumbling into spares. I'll be doing more on five point... It's nasty.