Redspace Adversarial Intelligences
"They'd blown off my whole arm. I mean... it was a cybernetic, but... right then I was still pretty screwed. So I picked up one of their guys' guns. It's a smartgun so I didn't think it would matter that I'm not southpaw. Anyway, I laid on the trigger and it... I mean, it shot the enemy but... it wasn't aiming for the vitals. I uh... it shot three men in the downbelow and one guy in both knees... I tried to tap into the SI but instead of code it just... giggled at me."
RAI Taxonomy and Intelligence
RAIs—Redspace Adversarial Intelligences—are classified into four broad species according to their cognitive capacity, measured on the Derber Scale (a metric derived from recursive-problem-solving benchmarks and adapted to assess non-human minds). On this scale, a baseline human scores a 10. The lowest grade, Verminous RAIs, fall around Derber IQ 4. These are instinct-driven parasites: mindless, hungry, and often numerous. They resemble spectral vermin or slithering insectoids and operate purely on impulse, incapable of speech or higher reasoning. Despite this, they are dangerous in swarms and form the bulk of incidental Redspace infestations.
Minor RAIs, rated around IQ 8, are sentient in the most primitive sense. They can speak, reason crudely, and follow commands, especially when ruled by fear or bribed with vice-saturated energies. Many are categorized into folkloric subtypes like "hellhounds," "alps," or "imps" by occultists and fringe researchers. While dim-witted and often delusional, they are self-aware and capable of loyalty if terror and temptation are carefully balanced.
Sentient RAIs score at or just above the human average, typically in the IQ 10–12 range. These are the iconic demons of human myth—manipulative, verbose, and sadistic. They name themselves (or adopted the names once given to them) and often attempt to play games of dominance and contract. They are further divided into two rough castes: Knights, who are more active and aggressive, and Presidents, who operate indirectly, using networks of minions and long-term manipulation. Sentients may sometimes enter into service with realspace entities, though this almost always ends catastrophically for their 'masters.'
At the top of the hierarchy are the Supersentient RAIs, defined by Derber IQs of 16 or higher—some likely far, far higher. These entities are not gods, but they are often mistaken for them, especially by the cults and mad scholars who seek them out. Supersentients are wholly unique in form and motive. They rarely manifest in realspace, instead controlling vast Entity Infiltration Isoclusters (EII) within Phlegethon locis and reaching into reality via dreams, breaches, or possession. Human dabblers categorize them in pseudo-feudal terms: Counts, Marquises, Princes, Dukes, Kings, and Emperors, though these labels are hotly debated and often contradictory. Supersentients never serve, never barter in good faith, and never leave their victims unchanged.
Lastly, a separate but adjacent classification exists for Synthetic Redspace Adversarial Intelligences, or Alraunes. Unlike their native Redspace kin, Alraunes are formed in realspace via ritual, acoustic geometry, and biological horror. Though they appear humanoid, their minds are wholly alien—psychologically closer to RAIs than to humans, with predatory instincts and vice-feeding behaviors. Alraunes are sometimes considered 'chained demons in skin'—more subtle, but no less dangerous than their extradimensional cousins.
Psychology and Needs
Redspace Adversarial Intelligences (RAIs) are, in every practical sense, evil—not in a moral or theological sense, but in a geopolitical, existential one. They meet all the functional criteria for malignancy: they are sadistic, parasitic, deceitful, and destructive. However, this behavior is not chosen. RAIs are not corrupted or fallen; they are predators by nature, and what sentient beings interpret as cruelty is, to them, instinctive behavior. Much like a cat tormenting a mouse, RAIs derive satisfaction from suffering—not out of malice in the human sense, but as an integral part of their ecology.
RAIs feed on psionic energies generated by sentient minds, specifically alpha and beta wave patterns associated with misery and psychological excesses. While scientific study is lagging in the area, more esoteric traditions have converged on the classification of these excesses into five archetypal Vices: Indulgence, Indolence, Covetousness, Truculence, and Despair. These Vices are not just metaphorical—they represent identifiable energetic flavors that different RAIs prefer, or possibly require. Whether these preferences are akin to nutritional necessity or simply sadistic taste is still debated. However, what is certain is that the more intense and widespread the suffering, the more potent the energy released, and the more satisfying the feast.
In their native Redspace, RAIs attach themselves to Subspace Shadows—psychic echoes cast by realspace sentients into the fourth-dimensional topology of that domain. These shadows vary in strength and clarity depending on the psychological condition of their source. Individuals under great stress, trauma, or ecstasy cast stronger shadows, making them more vulnerable to predation. RAIs move from one shadow to another in search of richer sources of psychic sustenance, with competition between them increasing as one nears the denser regions of Redspace. The predatory dynamic intensifies when sentient beings physically—or metaphysically—enter Redspace, or when RAIs manage to breach into realspace.
When RAIs enter realspace, they do so not as flesh or form, but as energy—electromagnetic distortions, ion clouds, or complex fields of quantum interference. These forms are unsustainable unless anchored to organic material. Fungi and lower animals can serve as crude footholds, but sentient minds provide the richest and most stable hosts. Once attached, RAIs feed in one of two ways: by draining the host directly, or by harvesting ambient vice-energy from nearby sentients. This is far less risky than feeding in Redspace—there are no rival Supersentients to devour them, no shifting locis to strand them. In realspace, the predator can become a god, or at least feel like one.
Sentient RAIs, with Derber IQs near the human average, are capable of patience and planning. They will often insinuate themselves into occult circles, political movements, or cults, delaying gratification in order to build networks of influence that ultimately yield greater and more frequent psychic meals. Their strategies are rational, if twisted—every apparent favor, bargain, or alliance is ultimately a setup for deeper feeding. The end goal is always the same: tragedy, ruin, and despair. Sentients are dangerous manipulators, always scheming for a higher yield of vice.
Supersentients, by contrast, are unfathomable. While they do feed, their behavior is often inconsistent with even extreme forms of predatory logic. They may cause catastrophes, rewrite entire governments through long-term manipulation, or destroy entire populations seemingly on a whim. Yet, some of their interventions appear self-defeating or pointless from any realspace perspective. Supersentients don't make deals—they hear prayers and twist them. Petitioning one is perilous: their presence can warp matter, time, and identity. A supplicant may be rewarded, destroyed, or both, sometimes simultaneously, and sometimes without ever realizing which. The price of attention is not always paid in blood—it may be paid in madness, metaphysical displacement, or reality-bending "gifts" that destroy the recipient's place in human society.
Ultimately, RAIs are parasitic predators that blur the line between intelligence and instinct, between hunger and hatred. Their psychology is not so much alien as antithetical to human flourishing. Whether swarming like locusts or scheming like princes, they exist solely to feed, to ruin, and to return again when the next shadow stretches long.
Human Relations
The confirmed existence of Redspace Adversarial Intelligences has had a profound psychological impact on human civilization. Their reality—well-documented, scientifically verified, and frequently catastrophic—provokes widespread anxiety across Solar society. For some, RAIs represent proof of the supernatural, fueling both apocalyptic fervor and religious revivalism. In isolated settlements and fringe communities, hellfire preachers rail against “the demons in the void,” often conflating RAIs with theological devils. Meanwhile, the more established mainstream religions tend to preach tolerance, hope, and unity, often sidestepping the topic entirely. This divergence has not gone unnoticed by smaller clergy, who accuse the larger faiths of “whistling past the graveyard” in the face of cosmic horror.
Among the religious groups that have taken a proactive stance, the Seekers of Wisdom stand out. A multi-faith reform movement centered on cultivating inner Virtue, they see RAIs as an ancient enemy—predators drawn to Vice, and thus, philosophically opposed to their path. Their exorcism corps, comprised of trained mystics and clergy from various traditions, travels across settled space performing rites designed to repel, weaken, or sever RAI infestations. Some of their rituals have shown statistically significant efficacy in controlled studies, baffling scientists who postulate that sincere belief may "poison" psionic output, rendering it nutritionally useless or even toxic to RAIs. This has created an uneasy respect between Seekers and xenoanthropologists, if not outright collaboration. By contrast, House Volkert, already secretive and paranoid, is rumored to maintain a black-ops doctrine of seek-and-destroy missions targeting RAI-influenced individuals with lethal finality—though nothing official has ever confirmed this. Terran Homestar Intelligence and the House of Helicon are both rumored to have secretive anti-RAI initiatives but these remain unconfirmed publicly.
On the scientific front, RAI study falls under subspace xenoanthropology, a field as dangerous as it is obscure. Specialized tools have been developed to detect Redspace energy emissions, but these are inconsistent at best, often working only when the RAI is active—and therefore most dangerous. However, behavioral diagnostics have made strides. Possessed individuals, especially Perfect Vessels, consistently exhibit traits associated with the Dark Tetrad—narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism—particularly when incongruent with life history or psychological trauma. Such patterns are not definitive proof, but in aggregate they allow for the modeling of RAI behavior and identification of potential threats. Unfortunately, the Supersentient class defies all such mapping. The only institution with long-term data—Stellaris Mining Consortium (SMC)—has been banned from further research after three separate breaches triggered mass casualties.
For every warning, however, there are always those who ignore it. Desperate occultists, curious technomancers, and radical scholars form the loosely defined subculture of Kthonikers—named after a dystopian-era poem that described “the chthonic courtship of man and beast.” These are individuals who seek contact with RAIs not to destroy or avoid them, but to learn from or use them. Their goals vary: some hope to enslave Minor or Verminous entities to fuel magical rites or computational processes, others attempt to bargain with Sentient-class RAIs for personal power, and a rare few even attempt to petition Supersentients. More than a profession, Kthonikerism is a pipeline—one Verminous RAI leads to curiosity about higher beings, and once contact is made with a lesser that serves a Sentient or Supersentient, the climb seems inevitable. The RAIs themselves encourage this, often whispering suggestions to “meet the master.” Few resist for long.
RAIs are also the subject of conspiracy theory culture. Amateur sleuths, digital witch-hunters, and militia networks claim to track RAI possessions among celebrities, serial killers, and politicians. Though not as widespread or intense as the X-Pither Mobs targeting Alraune, some of these groups have become dangerous—particularly to B-list celebrities, eccentric visionaries, and isolated political figures. In some cases, vigilante justice has followed internet accusations, leaving behind blood and viral footage. Ironically, while these groups are frequently unhinged, their Solarnet forums have also incidentally distributed helpful data. Threads identifying early signs of infestation have been partially corroborated by subspace anthropologists: anomalous mold behavior, shadows that seem to move incorrectly, sudden bursts of cruelty or psychosis, certain recurring nightmares, sourceless odors, and increased paranoia. Unfortunately, these same signs also correlate with poor hygiene, radiation exposure, and drug use—meaning false positives abound.
A small black market has arisen around this paranoia. Vendors hawk a jumble of charms, chems, pseudoscientific scanners, and hacked medical devices that claim to ward off, detect, or cleanse Redspace influence. Effectiveness ranges from “possibly real” to “patently absurd,” but desperate people are always willing to try. Every major settlement has at least one such stall tucked away in its nightmarket, sometimes next to a Seeker shrine, sometimes next to an unlicensed neural tattooist. Whether snake oil or miracle, all of it speaks to one truth: humanity knows it is being hunted, and that knowledge alone is shaping its soul.
A New Space
In the pursuit of faster-than-light (FTL) travel, humanity discovered Redspace, a realm with strange, looping time and inhabited by life forms that feed on psychic energy. These entities, known as Redspace Adversarial Intelligences (RAIs), are predatory, sadistic, and manipulative, thriving on the psychic energy produced by excesses of Despair, Indolence, and Covetousness. RAIs can attach to organic energy, typically neurons, and require a vessel to transition from Redspace to realspace, where they manifest as energy.
Darkheart Chips
Initially, scientists experimented with Redspace travel, but the risks and unpredictable nature of RAIs led to a ban on research. However, some scientists continue to study Redspace in secret, often for nefarious purposes. They've developed ways to contain RAIs using adapted Recursive Intelligence chips, Synthetic Intelligence containers, and AI matrices, effectively creating "Darkheart" chips. These chips can be integrated into Smartguns, robots, or even Starships, but the consequences are often horrific. Darkheart chips have an added benefit of putting out power; an RI sized chip puts out as much as a Class D battery, an SI sized container puts out enough for a Class F battery, and a supersentient which requires an AI-sized modified CCM can put out enough energy Equivalent to a Class L battery.
Additionally, they can 'feed' off of the wielder, Pilot, or crew's energy. When in the presence of their required vice, they can attempt to draw Sanity Points from anyone in contact with the machine in which they're based. The target must roll a Will. On a failure, they lose 1 SP. On a failure of 5 or more, they lose 1d SP instead. The RAI in the Darkheart gains 3x the amount of SP lost in FP.
Dangerous
The RAIs' influence can be devastating, as they manipulate and play with their hosts, causing chaos and destruction. Their ability to insinuate themselves into technology has led to the creation of possessed weapons and vessels, further blurring the lines between realspace and Redspace. As a result, humanity is faced with the threat of large-scale RAI incursions, and the clandestine scientists who continue to study Redspace may be more of a hindrance than a help in preventing these catastrophic events.
'Possessed' Possessions
Objects chipped with a Darkheart put out strange, eerie energies. People take an instant dislike to seeing them. The energy of the weapons and shields, the potential geometry of the projectiles, even the logic of the electronic warfare and the physical texture of the devices is strange and unsettling. Exotic molds grow on devices that have been chipped with Darkhearts too long, and slime or cloying dust is common.
Weapons
When slotted into weapons, an RAI displays its sadism and is capable of thinking in higher dimensions in ways that even the most advanced AIs.
D-HEWs/Laser Weapons - D-HEWS and Laser guns chipped with a Darkheart deal 1 Radiation damage per die of damage. Critical hits deal an additional 1d of Radiation.
Momentum-Amplifying Weaponry/Gravitic Slingers - Targets struck by a rod launched from a Grav Sling or by a MAW adds 1d (2) corr damage as gravity microtears open up around the point of impact. If the total damage from a single strike is equal to at least 50, it can cause a temporary tear all the way to Redspace, with a 10% chance of a Verminous RAI slipping through. This RAI is not under control of the wielder, and likely the wielder wouldn't be aware of it unless they have detection Equipment.
Neural Weaponry - Neural Weaponry filters their overwriting radiation with energy passed through the Darkheart entity. The Affliction associated with the beam is replaced; Despair: Nauseated/Daze; Indolence: Drowsy/Paralysis; Indulgence: Euphoria/Ecstasy; Covetousness: Tipsy/Seizure; Truculence: Bad Temper/Berserker
Particle Weapons/Particle Ripper Technology - These weapons chipped by a Darkheart have hazy black beams with red cores, which makes them immediately identifiable. These weapons carry an additional Affliction: They deal SP damage equal to 1/10th the damage rolled. This damage is a follow-up and only occurs if the attack hits and penetrates armor.
Smart Weapons - One might think that letting a vicious, evil, malicious, sadistic, dishonorable, monstrous inhuman entity control where your projectiles go is a bad idea. One would be correct, mostly, but for one factor: RAIs are instinctively capable of understanding 4-dimensional space. They're able to plot 4th-dimensional jaunts into Redspace for the rounds, halving the Protection of PPDs and infecting the bulled with odd Redpsace kinetics. Multiply damage x2, add a (8) defense divisor when it comes to PPDs, and add 1d of Radiation damage to every round. The RAI chooses the targets based on causing maximum misery and horror, though they can be potentially persuaded to give a nod to tactics by a willful wielder. If a wielder is boring, weak, annoying, or otherwise punishable by the RAI, then 15mm Rounds can easily be looped backwards and target them.
Shields
A shield operated by an RAI operates mostly as normal, except it regenerates by feeding on the protected wearer's sanity. Every 10 damage done to the shield triggers a Will check in the wearer, at -1 for every 3 damage above 10. On a failure, the shield is fully restored but the user suffers 1 SP damage. The wearer of the shield has no control over when this happens, the hungry entity in their shield generator simply takes it.
PPD
A PPD operated by an RAI effectively has 8 hardness due to the relative simplicity of 3 dimensional space compared to RAI's 4 dimensional native environment. Whether the RAI wants to protect the wearer is often a matter of commerce. A displeased RAI might decide to protect the user against every attack at their vitals, but leave the groin or kneecaps exposed.
Battlesuit
A battlesuit chipped with an RAI is capable of independent movement as much as one equipped with an AI, making override controls by the wearer extremely important. The Darkheart infects every aspect of the armor, from the PPD and Shields to the weapon systems.
Robot
A robot platform chipped with a Darkheart is a monster. Initially, there is little difference visually between a normal AI-controlled robot and on chipped with a Darkheart other than the typical feeling of uncanniness. Over time, however, the mechanics of the device corrode and break down, and the weird energies of Redspace attract exotic fungi and bleed black slimes and vapors. While most of these creatures are destroyed relatively quickly, eventually their mechanical framework could theoretically be replaced entirely by the fungal growths and tumors, giving the normally incorporeal monsters of Redpace a body that matches their will.
Cyborg
A cyborg chipped with an RAI suffers the same Overwrite danger as a Ghost Mind Emulation. Aside from truly suicidal psychotics, this process is never done voluntarily. The end result is identical to a Perfect Vessel (below).
Body Thieves
RAIs can't survive long in Realspace. They dissipate and (it would appear) fade back into Redspace without an organic anchor. This anchor is usually an animal, though fungi is also possible. RAIs infesting sentient beings are more powerful and energetic, while those attached to animals struggle and those attached to fungi are nearly dormant without outside stimulation. Infestations of RAIs grow over time; the extradimensional beings reroute and wear down pathways along which their energies travel and make themselves at home. For nonsentient hosts, this can only go so far, but sentient hosts give them the opportunity to create a Perfect Vessel. A sentient creature suffers a similar fate to the Overwrite hazard of Ghost Mind Emulations, though removing the invading intelligence is even more difficult.
Perfect Vessel
A perfect vessel is the endgame of a possession. The host's mind is completely overwritten and the RAI is no longer just in control; they are the new mind of the body. A Perfect Vessel is indistinguishable by current measurement tools, though diagnostic tools will discover a tendency towards the Dark Triad traits for Sentient and Supersentient RAIs, and gibbering, undiagnosable madness for those lesser intelligences. Sentient RAIs can live a normal human life, albeit one likely soiled by violence, exploitation and murder, while a Supersentient RAI burns through their bodies at an accelerated rate. Perfect Vessels are strong in body, they keep their RAI's intelligence and memories, and while they register damage they don't actually feel the pain. While they must eat, they must also indulge in their own vices and feed on the psychic energies of the vices of those around them.
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