268 - Weeping Laughter

Unnatural Phenomenon: Weeping Laughter

In a section of forest in the Pacific Northwest is a rust-coloured moss that grows on the south side of a copse of fir trees by a small clearing. One vanity published treatise on indigineous religious practices calls it Weeping Laughter and assigns spiritual significance to the plant but no reputable source backs that claim. Dried, crushed and smoked it produces a mild psychedelic effect and provokes a sense of egoless, introspection that fades into muddled, nonsense when sober. For anyone holding charges it does a little more.

Weeping Laughter soaks up magickal power like a sponge, draining a smoker like an adept that just tabooed. Depending on the degree of power absorbed the smoke then manifests as a projection of their psyche, based on one of their deepest drives. Select a passion at random - with a successful roll on an identity like Psychonaut a savvy smoker could rule one out (or choose which with a matched success or crit) - as the core basis for the illusory caricature.

A projection lasts for 1d10 hours per charge absorbed, degrading in form as it uses up the more powerful mojo first. One spawned from minor charges is barely there, a disembodied voice that warbles and forgets things as time runs out. Significant charges produce a mental illusion that looks like a twisted reflection of the smoker, visible to people but invisible to things like security cameras and intangible. Results from dumping a major charge on smoking Weeping Laughter are a matter of speculation.

The personality of the projection depends on the passion it is based on and the temperament of the smoker. Rage passions are provocative and choleric, fear, paranoid and flinching, and noble, inspiring and hopeful. Not all of them are agreeable, to someone with psychological damage or a conflicted personality projections can be rude or even dangerous. Insight into inner demons can be helpful for therapy attempts (+20% shift, probably not great for treating Unnatural notches though) or milestones on a relevant objective. With a little cajoling a projection might even spy on someone for you or provide you with a conspicuous public alibi while you’re off doing something nefarious.

Even the most benign projections have an agenda. Those that interact with with their parent want them to focus on the interests of that passion and will horse trade for concessions in return for providing any services and won’t act against it themselves. They’ve got no way of enforcing any bargains but smokers who renege will find that future projections are less reasonable, not because the projection remembers but because they do. Hostile projections will happily blackmail and browbeat their parent into compliance with their darkest secrets and desires. If this fails they’re not above using their short-lived autonomy to wreak havoc by impersonating them to others to force the issue.