Riverlings

The technical term for these kids is ARDENT (Anomalous Regional Distribution of Expressed Novel Traits), which is the scientific way of saying "A bunch of people SURGEd  in the same way in a specific area and we don't drekking know why". Its a phenomenon that has been observed in several areas in the decade-and-a-half since Halley's Comet last graced us: the Tengu of Japan, the Ganesha and Nartaki of India, the Harfoots of England, the stone-like Apu of Peru, are all examples of ARDENTs.

And in the Zone , if you SURGEd and you did it near the River , there's a pretty good chance you did so in a certain way. A greenish cast to the skin, slick and hairless, bugling eyes a little too far apart, long noses and a ridge on the back of the head. The occasional tail. A level of physical flexibility that exceeds any of the mainstream Metatypes, even Elves (*Home sapiens nobilis*).

   What the people that the locals call "Riverlings" not only share physical traits but also certain behavioral tics. Riverlings generally show sighs of what they used to call 'Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder' (currently classed as 'Hyperkinetic Conduct Locus' in the DSM-IX), always on the move, marked by extreme curiosity and a short attention span. It does not help them hold down regular jobs, so a lot of Riverlings end up clustering in camps down by the river and making a living through odd jobs, begging and, of course, petty theft. Word has it that they tend to gather down at the the harbor that used to be the 'Oak Grove School' in north Fargo.

Most of the one I've heard of practice 'Rivering' superstitions, to the point where, when you combine that with the the amount of them involved in running con games, they are viewed by hardcore Riverwalkers  as basically clerics of the Mother River.

Unless you believe the urban legends that they really do have a connection to the Awakened Red.... and who knows, maybe they do...

*[Addendum 2.21.2076, user Doc Green]: To say that the concept of "ARDENT" is a... disputed category in SURGE studies is a grave understatement. One of the most heavily debated concepts is the role of place in these patterns. Yes, a great many of us locally have had experiences with The River and absolutely show similar traits (I know I have and I do!), but how does that relate to populations who show similar, sometimes identical sets of traits in other locales. Here I'm thinking of the underground (literally) population of 'Wyrmspawn' living beneath the Denver International Airport, who are nowhere near The River, but instead talk about the spiritual qualities of the mountains they live in or the 'Lizardmen' of Scape Ore Swamp in the CAS, who report being 'true-breeding' SURGE subjects living largely in their eponymous swamp. Obviously even fifteen years after the Comet, there's a lot of room for research in this field.*

### Notable Riverlings

* "Doc-guana" Dr. Dat Nguyen
* The Source, infamous Riverling hacker and gamer
* Race Cannon, matrix mini-celeb, part of the Source's crew.
* Local rapper Tachi
* Captain Krell of the Tin Box
* Mama Slink of the 94 Crew
* Faustin Cardinal and Melisanda Vermette of the Gothabilly band The Wayward Crabs (*pictured here*)

### Riverling Crews (known)

* The 94 Crew and sub-crews.
* Highland Crew
* Cap'n Krell's
* Max Lou Crew
* Cabal of Charon's Coven *[Winnipeg]*

Return to: Rivering