Deep Dive Sneak Peek: Albin Henryka

This week I'm spoiling the signature Devoted of Gustaw's Retinue, a Standing 1 conspiracy that has sprung up around a celebrity-businessman.

I think I've mostly sorted out which conspiracy sections I've spoiled and which are still waiting in the shadows. However, as there is at least one case where I actively attempted to trick myself by posting the history and the Devoted of a conspiracy but not its stats or Nodes, it's possible we might have another Incident before all is said and done. Should that happen, let me know, and I'll find another thing to post, even if it eventually means posting my brutal redlines to myself for all to see.

Aside from the one encouraging comment I already shared (because I'm never that nice to myself in redlines), I'm not going to post the redlines directed at other writers for the same reason I won't share their first drafts, which is that no one should have to share a work in progress without their permission (as the owner of this Patreon, it's very much what I signed up for).

In any case, the usual caveat applies: This is a first draft, so there will be changes.

Albin Henryka

Quote: “If the boss finds out about this, there’ll be trouble, so we’re going to fix it nice and quiet, understood?”

Background: Albin Henryka was born into a working-class family, and while he never knew literal hunger, he didn’t have a lot of luxuries growing up. A shy child, he stayed in the background among his peers, and it wasn’t until he joined the army after high school that his leadership qualities revealed themselves. Albin was responsible and reliable, and his superiors often held him up as an example for others to model. He rose in enlisted ranks steadily, although not quickly, and he probably would have enjoyed a long, stable career as a soldier if not for a close encounter with an IED that left him with a permanent and painful limp.

Following his discharge, Albin took a job as one of Gustaw’s bodyguards. He quickly proved his competence and loyalty, and Gustaw made him his personal security chief. In this role, Albin was responsible for hiring and managing Gustaw’s security forces, as well as identifying threats and compensating for any security vulnerabilities that couldn’t be completely closed. He did that job for 10 years before the assassination attempt that he fully expected would cost him his job.

That it didn’t was both a relief and a challenge that steeled Albin’s resolve to prevent it happening again. The solution he hit upon involved partnering with Zaszczepić Biotechnology, which was looking for test subjects for its experiments grafting and implanting mystically fortified animal tissue in humans. After listening to Zaszczepić’s sales pitch and seeing some of their results – and despite seeing some of their failures – Albin saw an opportunity to address his security force’s limitations.

He was the first to volunteer for the procedure, which was a success. He encouraged other members of his security team to do the same, and many did. Some died or suffered permanent damage, but enough acquired supernatural powers to convince Albin to make Divergence a condition of employment on Gustaw’s security detail.

Gustaw’s Retinue so impressed their boss that Albin was soon promoted to chief of staff. Albin expanded the transformation requirement to all employees who had regular contact with Gustaw and his family. At first, the Retinue resorted to forcing staff to undergo Divergence, resulting in many Exomorphs (and a lot of deaths that had to be covered up). Albin has since rejected that approach as a mistake, instead focusing on recruiting staff who are already inclined to serve willingly and transforming them into Devoted who can’t imagine betraying the boss.

Appearance: Albin is a tall, lean, and muscular man in his mid-40s. He dresses in a suit and tie because Gustaw expects this of him, but the formal attire always seems ill-fitting no matter how well-tailored. He walks with a slight limp but can move with surprising speed when he needs to.

Roleplaying Hints: Albin loves his job and is terrified of losing it. He never bothers the boss with bad news if he doesn’t have to and is apt to terminate any employee he even suspects of disloyalty or incompetence, which has unleashed several lasting enemies into the world.

Origin: Autourgic

Clade: Chimeric

Attributes: Intelligence 2, Wits 2, Resolve 2; Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3; Presence 3, Manipulation 2, Composure 3

Mental Skills: Academics 1 (Business Administration), Investigation 1, Occult 1, Politics 1

Physical Skills: Athletics 2, Brawl 2, Firearms 1, Larceny 1 (Security Systems), Weaponry 1

Social Skills: Empathy 1 (False Pretenses), Intimidation 2, Persuasion 2, Socialize 1, Subterfuge 1

Merits: Adaptable (Redundancy), Air of Menace

Willpower: 5

Stability: 6

Conviction: 1

Loyalty: 4

Aspiration: Solve a problem before the boss knows there is one

Initiative: 5

Defense: 4

Speed: 9

Health: 8

Size: 5

Acclimation: 1

Adaptations: Adrenaline Surge, Ferocious, Redundancy (from Adaptable Merit), Talented

Persistent Scars: Missing Limb (Natural Scar; limp) 1, Paranoia (Predator’s Cunning; Social) 4

Variations: Predator’s Cunning 5 (Scar-free Magnitude from Origin, additional Magnitude from Talented)

Techniques: Look Out (Predator’s Cunning; once per turn, as a reflexive action, can bestow any one effect of Predator’s Cunning on an ally within 10 yards/meters until the end of his next turn, although he loses all the benefits of the Variation while another is borrowing it and loses his next action)

Acquainted: +2 Presence; +1 Academics, +1 Athletics, +1 Brawl, +1 Intimidation, +1 Larceny; Gentle Athletics Lash* (Soporific, Stunning) 2; Obligation (Lash; Social) 2

Personal: +1 Manipulation; +1 Empathy, +1 Larceny, +1 Persuasion; Telekinesis 2; Depletion (Telekinesis; Social) 2

Obsessive: +1 Manipulation; +1 Investigation, +1 Occult, +1 Politics; Telekinesis (Force Field) 4; Depletion (Telekinesis; Social; Slow-Charging) 4

* Fires electrical pulses that numb muscles