The Unusual Suspects: The Weaver

The next prelude I concluded for my Demon: the Descent game, the Unusual Suspects, was for the Weaver. This psychopomp has been serving the God-Machine for a very long time. Its attention to detail was seen as an asset until it found a flaw it couldn’t let go of.

The Weaver like the Naturalist sees itself as genderless, but that might change with time.

The Weaver

Resembling a living loom more than a machine, the demon known as the Weaver served the God-Machine for thousands of years. It taught the art of textiles to the Mesopotamians, worked alchemy with the Egyptians, and reworked Dragon Lines in ancient China.

Unlike most demons and angels, the Weaver’s body appears composed of finely aged and lacquered wood. A web of threads loop through its form, acting as ligaments, muscles and with an arcane shuttlecock system an elaborate brain. An extendable set of shears hangs from one shoulder, capable of slicing through solid stone. Looking closer, an observer finds that the ‘wood’ that makes up its form is simply compressed fibers. It can reconfigure these threads at will into tools, weapons and stranger items. It can also tighten their structures allowing it shrink to fit into tight spots or vibrate them into strange frequencies immaterial to ordinary matter.

The Weaver’s final mission for the God-Machine was to ensure that a special set of T-shirts were made. Their vibrant colors and arcane pattern would draw emotional energy from their wearers, energy that would go on to power future Infrastructure. Though an initial run of the shirts was created, the Weaver spotted a flaw in the design, one that might hinder the larger mission. The dye used in the construction of the shirts contained water-soluble toxins that caused cancer in many wearers. It delayed the next shipment. As the project pulled feeble amounts of power from the populous, the Weaver obsessed with creating an alternative dye that lacked the problematic component. Days became weeks and the God-Machine decided that the Angel was defective. It cut it off and the Weaver Fell.

Over a year has passed since then and the Weaver has slowly learned to adapt. With some effort it replaced its original Cover, an isolated technician, for an ambitious chemist named Jeanette Teller. She traded some of her occult expertise for this patchwork creation.

Gifted with dazzling blue eyes and curly red hair, the Weaver rarely makes full use of her beauty, keeping her hair tied back and her outfits business casual beneath her lab coat. Recently on the advice of one of her few friends, she began to let her hair down after work and accentuate her outfits with a handmade scarf or sweater.

Jean, as she is known to her friends, works at Adamant Technologies, a startup focusing on material science. The founder Dr. Mike Reynolds is an obsessed genius. He rarely leaves the rented laboratory space near the University. His small team labors day and night to create miracles. Some members are skilled chemists like herself while others were friends of Mike’s. One of those friends, Scott Liles, has become suspicious of her. He’s seen her do things at work that seem impossible: identifying chemicals by touch, getting more out of the machines than seems possible, and other minor marvels.

Recently several firms have expressed interest in the company: Magadon Industries, DuPont, and the Deva Corporation. The later has given the Weaver some concern. It knows it is front for a God-Machine cult. Currently Adamant Technologies has a contract for a top-secret project for them. The Weaver knows it has something to do with a complicated set of blueprints that it spotted on Mike’s desk once. Jean’s part of the project involves creating transparent silicate sheets capable of containing a powerful electromagnetic pulse.

Outside of work, the Weaver tries to involve itself in humanity. One of its earliest forays led it to the library, where it was befriended by a librarian named Kelly Jenkins. The younger woman convinced it to run a craft class at the libraries on the weekends. It was while teaching this class that the Weaver encountered Jenny Olson, the Cover of the Naturalist. Both being wary of entanglements they’ve agreed to keep their knowledge of their core Covers their secret for now.

The Weaver’s one thorn in its side, is Cory Coulson, a tourist Jean ran into while at the park. The young man seems convinced that Jean is his lost sister Carrie. In all likelihood, Jean’s face simply resembles that of one of the people whose pacts went into making it. But Cory has made it his mission to learn the truth.

Another problem it has involves a set of glasses with salt spheres in place of lenses. Mr. Hand, a member of the Black Pyramid, brought the Gadget to the Weaver for analysis. He wanted the matter kept quiet. Then he vanished.

For now the Weaver focuses on its job, its Cover, and keeping an eye out for the influence of the Machine. When it can it distracts itself with humanity and their fascinating use of free will. The Weaver continues to build and repair flaws, sometimes considering whether the imperfections in its former master constitute flaws while remaining oblivious to its own vices. What the Weaver will do when it recognizes humanity’s faults remains to be seen.

As its first key the player chose Right Tools, Right Job.