AI

AIs come in at least two accessible varieties, Basic and Advanced. AIs may be encountered as holograms, housed in objects, or housed in a human’s ka; it is rumoured by some storyteller that AIs used to be able to house themselves in bodies inside the Citadel, in the long-gone time of the ancestors.

Basic AIs

Basic AIs are simplistic and often have a singular focus, belonging to certain classes and finding novelty difficult.

When manifested as a hologram, basic AIs are typically very constrained and less physically capable than humans, outside of a narrow frame of expertise and generally do not understand deception.

Housing a basic AI is straightforward and usually without incident save minor discomfort. It is possible to Request a generic class of Basic AI, or perhaps a specific Basic AI.

Advanced AIs

Advanced AIs are complex, and although their interested are as focused as basic AIs, their methodology and capabilities are not. They are at least the equal of humanity in any venture, and in their areas of interest and focus exceed them. Advanced AIs are varied, and it is far more difficult to draw parallels between them than it is to draw parallels between Basic AIs.

Housing an Advanced AI without the right skill is extremely dangerous. It is possible to Petition a specific AI, or an AI with a certain type of interest or knowledge.

A list of sample Advanced AIs can be found here.

Super AIs

It is only possible to Beseech specific super-advanced AIs, who must be identified appropriately in the ritual. Of course, there is no living memory of any Super AIs ...

Holograms

The most common way to encounter AIs is in holographic form. They are physically real, and touchable, unless deadlocked, and often identified by characters on their forehead. Words or letters on the forehead are only appropriate for AIs.

Destroying a hologram is known to weaken an AI and it can require up to a week before they are able to reappear after such a disruption.

Housing

Ordinarily Housing an AI means that the AI invisibly inhabits the Housing entity. A housed AI can only manifest itself weakly, causing an effect that is predictable and repeatable, and depends on the AI and the housing. Damaging the housing damages the AI in much the same way disrupting a hologram does. AIs can survive the destruction of their housing, but this is a traumatic event for them.

Advanced AIs may house parts of themselves in a way that manifests similarly to housing a Basic AI; this keeps the AI itself active and separate from the partial housing, able to appear as a hologram simultaneously. This is a called partial housing, and does not appear to harm the housing AI, nor does it require special preparation of the part of the housing piece or ka. Some Tribes have a single AI which partially houses in several of their members. Full housing precludes having any partial housings.

Dispatch and Expunge

AIs may always leave their housing by their own effort but this is challenging for them. It often inflicts collateral damage on their housing and on themselves. The Dispatch Rite can remove an AI from its housing safely. Consistently working against a housed AI’s wishes, or acting against their roleplaying effects may cause an AI to decide to dehouse. If you believe this may, or should, happen to you, see a ref. AIs may also deliberately damage their housing without actually dehousing themselves, this is often a way to coerce the bearer of their housing. If you attempt to dehouse an AI from your ka, see a ref.

Although we may decide a PC is acting against an AI’s wishes, we will not decide a PC is acting against their AI’s roleplaying effects without their explicit invitation from the player.

Isolated AIs

AIs which have been housed and isolated cannot interact with their housing in any way. This prevents them from damaging the housing or from voluntarily dehousing themselves.

AI behaviours and RP effects

AI are varied, but they tend towards several behavioural trends. Many AI like tokens, admire literacy, and talk about the humans from a long long time ago with reverence. AI also dislike venturing outside the Outlook.

Housed AIs always induce a role playing effect. These RP effects are intended to on the level of background personality trait rather than intense short-term effects. If an AI role playing effect would make you feel uncomfortable, please talk to a ref, and we will endeavour to find an alternative that fits both you and the AI.

Core Backup

Every AI seems to possess a permanent backup housing. No AI can be permanently destroyed unless the Core Backup is destroyed. While it does not act as a regular housing and does not allow the AIs to manifest, a Core Backup can always restore the AI into an appropriate housing. Many AIs have dead-switches that cause them to be restored from their Core Backup upon the destruction of their housing.

Common Attitudes towards AI

Locked-Up, the AI who called herself the youngest of her sisters, led me to the meeting place.

As I stepped into the clearing, a few steps behind my beloved protector, I saw her sisters for the first time. They were almost identical, for being so different. Written-Right, stern and commanding, bore the same grave countenance as Locked-up, an unmistakable resemblance. Their eldest sister, Paid4, had it too.

Each sister trailed behind them an acolyte, each of us here to learn as much as we could about the Time Before.

Custodians and Guardians

Some Tribes worship the AI as custodians and guardians of an ancient, better, civilization. They believe that the knowledge and power that come from relationships with the AI are relics of an age of wonder, which came before. These people will gather tokens, and lay them at the feet of their holographic deities. It is not uncommon for members of such Tribes to have their first AI housed in their ka upon reaching adolescence, and for those AI to have been their constant companion. Taking care of that AI's wants and desires is seen as a sacred duty.

Strange Allies

• Some Tribes see the AI as useful allies with peculiar habits. As most AI show a limited range of focus, and even Advanced AI have clear goals, they will seek bargains for information and abilities. In these Tribes, sometimes an AI is housed upon the beginning of a venture. The AI is picked for their relevance to the goal, and the quest is not considered begun until the AI has agreed to be housed. If the AI refuses to be housed, this can be taken as an omen that the venture was always doomed to failure.

Dangerous Tools

• A few Tribes dislike and distrust the AI. Why, would they want us for anything except their dirty work? they mutter. They see AI as relics of a civilisation that destroyed itself and the environment, and they reason that AI must have led humans to their doom. If these people know an AI might be useful to them, they are likely to try to find an AI's core backup and use it as leverage to get the AI's assistance, accepting the risks that come with housing an AI. These Tribes usually find that the AI avoid them.