Ferals

Basic Information

The term 'Feral' is widely used to describe any victim of the Promethean Nanites who has either been utterly subsumed by his or her animalistic nature, or who has embraced a pattern of behavior considered dangerous or unstable. Many ferals are in this last category- they are capable of speech, but seem utterly dominated by their new behavioral patterns. Whether or not either type of feral is recoverable is continually under debate, with Zephyr personnel being more likely than not to believe in the possible salvation of these unfortunates, and RSX agents being more likely to view them as lost and dangerous. The Prometheans seem to prefer to 'live and let live' save in positions of crisis. See Category:Monsters for a list of encountered creatures.

Degrees of Ferality

Of course, being feral is not something that is simply on or off - there are different degrees and extents to which different people sink into their new instincts. Technically, most Prometheans are actually feral and have not had the inoculation that Zephyr and RSX agents have had. The Mall Rats are ferals as well, but as they are still peaceful and seem to have an aptitude for tinkering most agents do not call them feral either. Basically, anyone who is infected but has not been inoculated with the mind-protecting drugs is a feral, but because each person has the potential to react to the instincts and the urges in a different way, it is hard to draw the line separating 'infected mutants' from 'savage ferals.'

If a character's feralness/sanity were viewed on a 1 - 100 scale, most player characters and other trained agents would fit comfortably in the top 10% - they are entirely functional and cogent, able to use tools and fancy equipment to gain an advantage over the environment. A character with All Natural, the RSX Agent dedication, and Self Control would be a good example of someone at the 100% mark, while Feral Mode characters could conceivably fall anywhere between 30% and 80%. Mall Rats, Prometheans, and the Library skunks are all at the high end of the feral spectrum, the Ashen are in the middle/lower end, and then ferals like the husky girls, skunk girls/skunk beasts, and goo girls are down in the 1% - 10% zone.

The Ashen, for example, have a social order, they can be bribed and reasoned with, and they comprehend the idea of interacting with other people in ways other than attacking and/or raping (even if they do really, really enjoy the raping part). They aren't very keen on using tools, though, preferring the natural abilities of their mutated forms. They also are not very inclined to book learning - reading is soooo slow! You could have sex with at least a dozen people in the time it takes to read a chapter.