Scorpion Sanctum (WW)

The **Scorpion Sanctum** is an alternate incarnation of the Scorpion Sanctum for the Whispering World.

## Background

The organization calling itself the Convergence used this structure standing above the Cloudcrystal Skyfields as one of their 3 main bases before the world was overrun by whispers. The chirog raiders that once plagued the surrounding area still remain, but they spend most of their time taking down any wandering whispers. For some reason, the chirog appear more resistant (though not immune) to the trigger phrase.

With the Amber Pope now gone and most of the Aeon Priesthood transformed into whispers, the "secret" nature of the Convergence has since been rendered moot. 5 Magisters, plus a mix of scavengers, newcomers, guards, and lackeys remain within the Sanctum. They work feverishly about on research relating to an understanding of the whisper plague. The woman in charge of this operation is a magister who everyone simply calls the Judge. The Judge is immediately identifiable by the metallic helmet she'll always wear - no one has ever seen her true features, at least, not since the whisper plague. She'll often head teams that depart from the Sanctum, usually through one of the space-bending gateways that link it with other locations. These away teams gather together food, water, and the occasional survivor that they can offer sanctuary to, though away teams sometimes may also decide to ambush survivors if they seem rather rich in supplies.

The magisters explain to any survivors that they're still trying to find a cure to the whisper plague, and if possible, even reverse it. None can truthfully admit as to whether or not anything of the original mind still remains within a whisper, but a few do believe it's possible. Once magister in particular - Barand Legor - is more pragmatic, and has even operated upon several whispers, removing their vocal chords and tongues so that they can't speak. These have been since drafted as servants, experimental fodder, and in the case of one whisper Barand calls his "mule", a mindless companion that will follow him around courtesy of a synth chord tied to its neck.

The Judge holds several secrets she hasn't shared. The first is that she's really a dimension walker from the base dimension. She had arrived just as the Whispering World was struck by its disaster. The Judge passed from the Base dimension to the Whispering world via a dimensional portal she had discovered within the Cloudcrystal Skyfields.

Her other secret, however, is that she also conducts her own experiments. In some secret chamber, the Judge dissects living whispers and splices their brains and antennae into other machines. She isn't trying to reverse the process, but rather enhance it. The Judge believes that the trigger phrase only partly changed those exposed to it. The full change, she believes, would allow the whispers to communicate among each other via the secret transmissions - why else the antennae, after all? She hopes to activate the function someday so that she can take control of a vast army of whispers.

## References

1. ↑ Cordell, Bruce, “The Whispering World.” Into the Outside, Monte Cook Games, LLP, 2018, pp. 72. Numenera. ISBN 978-1-939979-47-6