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1[[quoteright:335:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/corebook.jpg]]
2[-[[caption-width-right:335:''[[Anime/{{Neon Genesis Evangelion}} Evangelion]]'' + Creator/HPLovecraft + ''Anime/{{Robotech}}'' + ''Manga/{{Guyver}}'' + ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' + ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' = [[JustForFun/XMeetsY this]].]]-]
3
4->''"Aeon War Syndrome isn't losing your mind. It's losing your friends. It's losing your family. It's losing whatever hope you might have had left. They say war is hell. I've seen hell. This is worse."''
5
6''[=CthulhuTech=]'' is a tabletop roleplaying game that can be described as ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' and the ''Franchise/CthulhuMythos'' put into a blender and set to purée.
7
8It all begins when a scientist discovers a TomeOfEldritchLore (called ''The Mysteries Within") and uses the information within to create the [[BlackBox Dimensional Engine]] (D-Engine), an infinite-energy {{Magitek}} device deriving power from another dimension. Though both the creator and her apprentice were [[GoMadFromTheRevelation driven insane by the design process]], the D-Engine proves to be a success and soon makes futuristic technologies like HumongousMecha and AntiGravity possible.
9
10This development does not sit well with the Migou, a local group of StarfishAliens from Pluto that pride themselves on their complete and utter superiority to mankind. They declare war on Earth, first via the Nazzadi, a cloned puppet race of {{Proud Warrior Race Guy}}s created from the human genome. After the Nazzadi discover their true origins and defect to the side of humanity, the Migou take to the stage of war personally with their own [[OrganicTechnology semi-biological]] mecha and a perfect form of {{Brainwashing}} called assimilation. This conflict is known as the Second Arcanotech War, and devastates the Earth.
11
12It is now the era of the Aeon War. Humanity has survived the Second Arcanotech War thanks to [[TheFederation the totalitarian (but otherwise okay)]] New Earth Government, but greater threats are stirring under the surface. Various EldritchAbomination cults are enjoying a resurgence thanks to the development of FunctionalMagic and are attempting to revive The Old Ones from their slumber. An army of [[FishPeople Deep Ones]] lurk below the waves of the ocean, planning to swarm the land and enslave/transform its people. An avatar of Hastur (He Who Must Not Be Named) has been summoned into the world, organising its crazed devotees into the trigger-happy "Rapine Storm" that threatens to sweep across the world like a plague. And the Migou, stubbornly proud and ''terrified'' of the idea that [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt even one of the Old Ones could be awoken]], have declared war on ''everyone''.
13
14However, all is not lost. Realising that they were ill-equipped to fight against all of these threats at once, the New Earth Government have been busy creating new weapons to defend the last bastion of humanity: the Engels, a line of ''Evangelion''-esque bio-mechanical super-mecha with apocalyptic firepower and [[EmpathicWeapon a mind of their own]]. Meanwhile, there are factions that fight their own shadow wars against the darkness, such as the Eldritch Society and their Tagers, a group of elite agents that have literally [[BodyHorror fused their bodies with an alien symbiont]] to gain otherworldly power.
15
16And so it begins, in a brave new world that teeters on the brink of complete collapse. You find yourself on the front lines with your futuristic weaponry or otherworldly powers as the only barriers between you and the madness that lies beyond reality. Good luck.
17
18The following books are part of the series.
19* ''[=CthulhuTech=]'' (Mongoose) -- The core rulebook
20* ''Vade Mecum'' (Mongoose) -- Companion which details para-psychics, zoners, additional spells and mecha for various factions
21* ''Dark Passions'' (Mongoose - black and white; Catalyst - color version) -- A sourcebook for cults
22* ''Damnation View'' (Catalyst) -- A metaplot sourcebook for 2086
23* ''Mortal Remains'' (Catalyst) -- Details culture, society of the New Earth Government, and their enemies, the Migou
24* ''Ancient Enemies'' (Sandstorm) -- Details the struggle between the Tagers of the Eldritch Society and the Chrysalis Corporation
25* ''Unveiled Threats'' (Sandstorm) -- Details the armaments, devices and technology of the Strange Aeon
26* ''Burning Horizon'' (Sandstorm) -- 2087 Metaplot sourcebook
27----
28!!This TabletopRPG provides examples of:
29
30* AbsoluteXenophobe: The Migou are completely and utterly locked into their mindset of "kill all Nazzadi, enslave or kill every human on the planet, and keep the Old Ones in their can." No Migou will ever consider any kind of negotiation or working with humanity that doesn't involve turning humans into blanks or killing every Nazzadi on the planet.
31* {{Arcology}}: Although only mentioned in passing in the game rules, "arcos" are very integral to the storyline of the game. With the danger of cults and Mi-Gou attacks, you do not want to live outside a major city. So most have been converted into [[CitadelCity hardened, self-contained]] MegaCity structures.
32* ArmoredCoffins: Played straight with Engels due to the unique technology involved and it going berserk should the pilot wind up incapacitated. Subverted however with more conventional mecha and power armor, which usually offer ejector features or even life support pods for pilots.
33* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Usually explained away by magic or it being an anime genre convention, but sometimes just odd.
34** There is a line from "Burning Horizons" about how [[StealthInSpace it's ''easier'' to hide things in space]] because you can vent all the heat "into space", which is actually the '''exact''' opposite of how it works.
35* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Possible for powerful sorcerers, but as can be expected from the Cthulhu Mythos, no easy ride.
36* BadassNormal: Honestly, any character who isn't a [[FunctionalMagic sorcerer]], [[PsychicPower para-psychic]], [[EmpathicWeapon Engel pilot]], or [[VoluntaryShapeshifting Tager]] is going to either be this or dead.
37** Eldritch Society Operators will sometimes go into the field with Tager packs, despite not having the combat skills, damage resistance, and HealingFactor that the latter's symbiotes confer.
38** Pilots of normal mecha can be seen as this when fighting alongside the mighty biomechanical Engels.
39* BlackAndGreyMorality: Would you prefer the ([[ProperlyParanoid properly]]) paranoid PoliceState of the NEG? The amoral Eldritch Society? The genocidal Migou? Or would you like to go all out and join the EldritchAbomination cults?
40* BlessedWithSuck: Congrats, you've survived a brush with the Zone, and now have incredible PsychicPowers. Now all you have to deal with is constant [[PowerIncontinence Burn]], being slightly insane (ranking up to moderately and severely after a few days), and being a WeirdnessMagnet. Oh, and did we mention that you're unable to control your powers '''and''' pretty much every group wants to kill or experiment on you? You know, screw it, being a Zoner is a perfectly good reason for saying IJustWantToBeNormal.
41* BodyHorror: The Dhohanoids and their DarkIsNotEvil kin, the Tagers.
42* BondCreatures: Project Nephilim. See {{Mon}} below.
43* BrainInAJar: [[spoiler:Harvested human brains, kept alive indefinitely in metal jars, form the core of Migou computer systems.]]
44* {{Brainwashed}}: The Migou have a process known as "Assimilation" which is a perfect brainwashing system. It creates fanatically loyal subjects, is irreversible, and can only be detected with advanced brain scans.
45* ButterflyOfDeathAndRebirth: The Chrysalis Corporation uses one of these as their insignia. Incidentally, they also specialize in turning people into hybrid monsters. Symbolism anyone?
46* BugWar:
47** The Aeon War, with both the [[StarfishAliens Migou]] and the Rapine Storm's various monsters attacking humanity, certainly comes under this category.
48** The Migou themselves see the Aeon War as this, since for them ''humans'' are bugs to squash.
49* ByTheBookCop: The [[UsefulNotes/AmericanLawEnforcement FSB]] is presented as this, in contrast to the OIS, who openly operate as StateSec.
50* CaptainErsatz: Several prominent ones. It's worth mentioning that the core rulebook acknowledges and lists the various anime influences on the game.
51** The Engels are alive, they go berserk when the wrong person gets in them or when the right person is knocked out, they're the only proper defense Earth has against unstoppable monsters, and their pilots tend to be a little bit nuts. [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Sound familiar to anyone else?]]
52** Nazzadi= [[Anime/SuperDimensionFortressMacross Zentradi]]
53** Tagers and Dhohanoids= Manga/{{Guyver}}s and Zoanoids.
54* CastFromHitPoints: If a psychic runs out of MP, he can choose to do this. Just don't go near him [[PowerIncontinence for a few hours afterwards]].
55* ChildByRape: The majority of Deep One-human hybrids.
56* CIAEvilFBIGood: The [[StateSec OIS]] gets a far worse rap than the [[UsefulNotes/AmericanLawEnforcement FSB]] in the books; while it's portrayed on the whole as NecessarilyEvil, the moment a criminal goes into OIS hands, all concepts of human rights go out the window. The FSB, by contrast, have an organizational culture of integrity, their largest division is InternalAffairs to keep the cults out, and generally play their cases {{by the book|Cop}}.
57* CorruptCorporateExecutive: The Chrysalis Corporation takes it to a whole new level, as their Director is actually ''Nyarlathotep''. Don't think anyone else is gonna be topping ''that'' one any time soon.
58* CosmicHorrorStory: Considering the source material that this is based upon, this pretty much comes with the territory.
59* CrapsackWorld: The phrase "''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY meets]] Creator/HPLovecraft" should tell you how bleak it is. Thankfully for the NEG, there actually ''is'' some hope for humanity. (Or at least for whatever humanity [[HumanoidAbomination evolves into]].)
60* [[CuteMonsterGirl Cute Monster People]]:
61** {{Subverted|Trope}} with the Horned Ones: they appear as this, but they are brainbending rape machines living to breed the armies of Shub-Niggurath.
62** Non-particularly malicious Deep One hybrids can be this at the first stages of the transformation.
63* DarkIsNotEvil:
64** Eldritch Society's Tagers are as horrifying as Dhohanoids, their EvilCounterpart.
65** You can also play a sorcerer, who indulges in what one would probably consider BlackMagic in any other setting, albeit at a significant cost to their sanity. Then again, [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity everyone else is paying that cost too]].
66** The Vade Mecum book adds ghouls, who, while they are certainly TheGrotesque and have some [[ImAHumanitarian disgusting nutritional requirements]], are no better or worse than the mortal races -- heck, [[TheVirus some of them may have]] ''[[TheVirus been]]'' [[TheVirus mortal once]].
67* DeathWorld: The area around [[NegativeSpaceWedgie the Zone]].
68* DespairEventHorizon: Finding out [[spoiler:there's a second Hive Ship headed towards Earth.]] The section of the adventure that this happens in is even called "That's It, We're Totally Effed." [=GMs=] are advised to have a supporting NPC or two ''[[DrivenToSuicide blow their brains out]] right there''. It's a ''tad'' bleak.
69* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: With the currently in Beta second edition, the original edition and its more unseemly contents will be regarded as this.
70* EldritchAbomination: Played straight. Frequently. It's Hideaki Anno and Lovecraft!
71* EmpathicWeapon: The Engels, which the core rulebook admits are essentially [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelions]]. ''Mortal Remains'' add Nephilim to this trope.
72* EverybodyHasLotsOfSex: As part of the same process that legalized many illegal things (like drugs) in order to keep the general population sane, sexual morality became a lot looser: the average age when someones loses their virginity is 12; prostitution is legal and resembles modern-day Dutch practices; the porn industry rivals modern Hollywood; major porn stars are minor mainstream celebrities; and the sex in mainstream media is borderline softcore. Of course, Death Shadows and various other cults are trying to take this into {{Squick}} territory. There are indications that the cults set it up this way, and want to make it worse. Also see FreeLoveFuture below.
73* EvolutionPowerUp: The Tagers can go through ''metamorphosis'', gaining an even more powerful form, possibly as an analogue to the Manga/{{Guyver}} Gigantic. Phantoms evolve into Wraiths, which can totally control their own inertia, rendering themselves [[TheJuggernaut unmovable and unstoppable]]. Whispers evolve into Dreams, who can see thoughts, dreams and emotions. Shadows evolve into Phantasms, who can perfectly mimic any appearance or sound. Echoes evolve into Impulses, gaining the ability to teleport. Mirages evolve into Memories, who [[ParanoiaFuel are instantly forgotten about the moment they can no longer be seen]]. Spectres evolve into Revenants, gaining such a potent HealingFactor they can no longer feel pain and can revive from any wound. Widows evolve into [[MeaningfulName Horrors]], who are immune to fear and can inspire tear and madness with a look. Nightmares evolve into [[MeaningfulName Torments]], who can cause unbearable agony with just a touch. Vampires evolve into Bloodgods, who can [[BodyHorror reshape flesh, blood and bone at will]]. Finally, Efreeti evolve into [[MeaningfulName Infernos]], which are master pyrokinetics.
74* FakeMemories: The Migou made the Nazzadi think that they were millennia-old galactic conquerors instead of a newly-made clone race. The Nazzadi finding out that these memories were fake led to their HeelFaceTurn.
75* FreeLoveFuture: Casual sex is seen as perfectly normal in the 2080's, although most people use it as a way to eventually meet someone with which they want to have a monogamous relationship - and also, y'know, because sex feels good.
76* FromBadToWorse:
77** In the first story book, The Rapine Storm overruns China completely, the Deep Ones find something, and the summoning of an Outer God is barely averted. There are five books remaining. Also, the big reveal at the end of the book? [[spoiler:There's another Migou Hive Ship on the way to Earth. The presence of ONE has driven mankind nearly to extinction. Yeah. It's about to get much, ''much'' worse.]]
78*** The book Mortal Remains has some interesting information, but the opportunity it opens up is so minute as to be nonexistent. [[spoiler:The two Hive Ships hold the ENTIRETY of the Migou in our solar system. Pluto, their mining colony, is going to have a skeleton crew once the second ship launches. Some may question the rationality of leaving Pluto defenseless, but according to Migou intel, there are no threats to it since nobody is capable of getting there (and the Earth is locked down by the first Hive Ship)]].
79* FunctionalMagic: Parapsychics have an Innate Gift, while sorcerers use a mixture of Rule Magic and Force Magic [[DoingInTheWizard which is taught as a science]].
80* GenderBender: Beckon the Unexpressed, a spell that changes the target's sex over a period of three days. [[HilarityEnsues Often used as a college prank.]]
81* GenreMashup: Between a CosmicHorrorStory with its utter insignificance of humanity in the face of unimaginable vastness and giant robots and teenagers who save the future with significant human endeavour.
82* GoneHorriblyWrong: What happens when Migou try to create their own version of the Engels. Needless to say, no Migou scientist dares to work on that project again.
83* GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe: Nazzadi women are often treated as such by the artists on this project. Seriously, go through the books and try to find one Nazzadi female who isn't Stripperiffic.
84** The fact that they have no nudity taboo doesn't help matters.
85** Justified in that the Nazzadi are an artificially created race of modified humans.
86* GrimUpNorth: The Migou mostly inhabit the polar regions.
87* HalfHumanHybrid: Three different flavors!
88** Nazzadi[=/=]Human hybrids are justified. Since they are essentially the same race, it is natural that they would be able to interbreed.
89** The Deep One Hybrids are... pretty much the same as they are in Lovecraft's "The Shadow Over Innsmouth," except that they can't pass down their Deep One genes to an ordinary mortal... at least until they become fully Deep Ones.
90** The Outsider Taint drawback, which doubles your [[ManaMeter Orgone]] at the cost of [[BlessedWithSuck the NEG's trust, the ability to become a Tager or pilot an Engel, and a physical deformity]].
91* HeelFaceTurn
92** Most Nazzadi, once they learned about their true origin.
93** When a group of Dhohanoid agents of the Chrysalis Corporation studied ''Ta’ge Fragments'', they began to think that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to be bringing Great Old Ones into this world again. So they runaway, taking the tome with them, and become founders of the Eldritch Society.
94* HopeSpot:
95** Burning Horizon:
96*** Good news: [[spoiler: 1. New Arcanowave technology lets the NEG make a devastating strike on the Hive Ship in orbit. 2. The second Hive Ship is forced to turn back when remnants of the NEG space forces (left behind when the second arcanotech war began) strike at Pluto using new technology of their own. 3. The NEG and Remnants join together and form the Coalition, which causes a massive moral boost in universe.]]
97*** Bad News: [[spoiler: 1. In response to their setbacks, the Migou created a nasty disease that resembles the unholy fusion of Ebola and the common cold which cripples the NEG (along with the Eldritch Society and Chrysallis Corporation). 2. Chrysalis Corporation has made inroads into corrupting the OIS, which is supposed to stop things like them. 3. The Rapine Storm has made inroads into Australia and Thailand after overruning China in Damnation View. 4. The Cult of Dagon have managed to adopt the process of making Dhoanoids for their own uses.]]
98** The core book notes that The Great Race of Yith issued warnings to humanity, claiming that the future is not entirely set yet. It's vague, but at least that means that the Aeon War isn't a hopeless one.
99* HopelessWar: Again, comes with the territory in this CosmicHorrorStory.
100* HumanAliens: Very, ''very'' subverted -- if a person is even ''remotely'' humanoid and native to the local dimension, that's because they come from Earth.
101* HumanoidAbomination: An entire subrace of them (white xenomixes), and then some.
102* HumongousMecha: In five basic varieties, as well size differences between 10 foot tall PoweredArmor to [[AttackOfTheFiftyFootWhatever 55 foot tall Behemoths]].
103** First, there's the RealRobot NEG mecha, classified as the Sword line, all of which are ChickenWalker style and are generally considered baseline models, but aren't to be underestimated when they coordinate.
104** Second, we have the Engels, {{Super Robot}}s of the [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion Evangelion]] style, being partially organic based. They require advanced, specialized training to pilot correctly, but are far stronger than individual Swords.
105** Third, we have the Nazzadi mecha. While they're also {{Real Robot}}s like the Swords, they are [[LightningBruiser considerably faster and pack far more heat]]. This is offset by their being [[TooAwesomeToUse far more difficult to manufacture and field]].
106** Fourth, we have the Migou biomecha, which are referred to as "Bugs" by NEG troopers, and with good reason. They all resemble Earth insects, such as mantises, fleas, cockroaches and dragonflies. On the power scale, they sit slightly higher than Swords in raw power, but only the most powerful Bugs can compete with Engels.
107** Fifth, and finally, there is Deep One PoweredArmor, which is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin. Pretty much what would happen if you gave a monster [[Franchise/{{Halo}} Spartan battle gear]]. Generally don't get much bigger than [[MiniMecha 15 feet or so]], [[PintsizedPowerhouse but they don't need the extra size]]. There's also Deep One-shaped mechs for the human members of the Esoteric Order, though they're not particularly good outside the water. They still have two models of humongous mecha, Hydra (23 feet) and Leviathan (40 feet), which were used to handle anything their powered armors can't.
108* InherentInTheSystem: The NEG are a tyrannical police state who oppress humanity, but rebelling and overthrowing them? That's just going to damn humanity to the Cults.
109* InnocentFanserviceGirl: The Nazzadi have no nudity taboo. They don't run around naked in public or anything, but they think nothing of stripping down if the situation might possibly call for it.
110* InternalAffairs: Sectarian Crimes at the FSB fills this role for the entire NEG, though they aren't there to irritate {{Cowboy Cop}}s, they're there to clean out Cult infiltration in the NEG, and they have quite a few {{Cowboy Cop}}s on their own payroll.
111* {{Jerkass}}: The Migou aren't utter evil like other antagonists. However, they think of humans no higher than labor animals and experiment subjects. They'll also kill every Nazzadi, even the loyalists, simply because they remind the Migou of their dismal failure.
112* JumpPhysics: ''[=CthulhuTech=]'' is animesque, so characters are allowed to pull wicked jumps.
113* JustBeforeTheEnd: Sure, it may not ''seem'' like it in NEG-controlled territory, but the government has become quite adept at hiding just how utterly ''screwed'' humanity is.
114* KnightTemplar: The Office Of Internal Security has a lot of these on staff.
115* LighterAndSofter: Well relatively in comparison to most other CosmicHorrorStory works. In this setting humanity has a HopeSpot and at the very least we'll go down swinging and taking a few things with us so others won't have to deal with them.
116* LovecraftianSuperpower: Dhoanoids and Tagers have this as their schtick. The Dhoanoids are closer to the strict definition of the term, due to the fact that they're basically {{Eldritch Abomination}}s wearing human skin-suits, instead of symbotically merged with humans like Tagers are.
117* LuckManipulationMechanic: Drama Points. Spending them adds to your dice pool or subtracts from your opponent's dice pool.
118* MadScientist: Most scientists in the setting, considering that its science concerns itself with ThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow.
119* MagicOrPsychic: Sorcery is taught as a science in universities, while Parapsychics are some sort of mutation or other special ability subject to a MutantDraftBoard.
120* {{Magitek}}: Well, sort of. The line between science and magic is basically arbitrary in ''[=CthulhuTech=]'', based off the ability of humanity to understand the underlying principles without going crazy. The D-Engines, with their whole infinite-energy-but-finite-power nature are a clear example of this trope, though.
121* MalignedMixedMarriage: There's a consensus in the Nazzadi community that they should be building their own Nazzadi culture, and part of that means marrying and producing children with other Nazzadi. Nazzadi who marry humans or who become parents of xenomixes are not well liked.
122* {{Masquerade}}: The NEG with its Ministry of Information tries really hard to hide how utterly screwed humanity is.
123* MeleeATrois: The Migou, Humans/Nazzadi-run NEG, and Cults all want each other dead/conquered/changed.
124* {{Metaplot}}: Present and integrated into the game mechanics. By the rules as written, the largest available XP award available to characters comes from witnessing the end of a metaplot arc.
125* MindRape: Oh so very common. It happens just from ''looking'' at [[EldritchAbomination some of the things that humanity has to fight]]. It can also be done by parapsychics, and the [[StateSec OIS]] does it to people it suspects of involvement in cults.
126* {{Mon}}: Project Nephilim introduces ''[=CthulhuTech=]''[='=]s own take on the anime genre, with genetically engineered mini-mecha horrors that have to be kept under control by [[TheKidWithTheRemoteControl psychic handlers]]. There's also a plethora of spells which allow sorcerers to summon various {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, usually to serve as assassins or bodyguards.
127* MissionControl: The Eldritch Society Operators are this.
128* MultipleEndings: Right now, none of them look very good. Likely endings include [[EverybodyDiesEnding human extinction]], getting enslaved by a Mythos race, and [[YouAreTheDemons surviving to become a Mythos race]]. The best possible one may very well be getting the hell away from Earth through whatever means necessary -- and it would still imply only a fraction could escape.
129* MutantDraftBoard: All [[PsychicPowers parapsychics]] (people born with innate abilities, which can range from mind control to having control over gravity) have to register with the [[StateSec Office of Internal Security]], be tested, are subjected to surveillance, and if their powers are deemed [[MindRape Invasive]] or Dangerous, they have to wear badges in public to inform people of it. In particular, [[GravityMaster Gravikinetics]] specifically get the full brunt of this trope and are forced to join the NEG; they're seen as just too dangerous to leave off a leash. On the other hand, looking at [[CosmicHorrorStory what kind of place]] the ''[=CthulhuTech=]'' setting is, it's fairly justified.
130* NailEm
131* NegativeSpaceWedgie: The Zone, which is what happens when you try to compress infinite dimensions into just three. As it turns out, it doesn't work out well at all.
132* OmnicidalManiac: Pick a member of the Rapine Storm. Any member of the Rapine Storm.
133* OnlyOneName: Nazzadi don't use surnames. They identify themselves by occupation, instead.
134* OrcusOnHisThrone: Hastur. Sure, the Rapine Storm does all of his dirty work, but if a Great Old One - even a weakened one - actually entered the MeleeATrois himself, it would be over very quickly. It's implied that he's actually ''unable'' to leave his domain on the Plateau of Leng, but he's an EldritchAbomination, so it's hard to say for certain.
135* OrganicTechnology: Migou mecha are implied to be at least partially biological, Tagers when "suited up" look like they're wearing organic PoweredArmor, and Engels are basically cybernetically modified clones of {{Eldritch Abomination}}s covered in armor so they can pass for GiantMecha.
136* OutgrownSuchSillySuperstitions: Subverted. In the time of the Strange Aeon, Christianity and Islam are effectively dead, but most people are very much spiritual. Also, Buddhism, Judaism and Hinduism are still around, essentially unchanged.
137* PaletteSwap: The Migou mech have new design in ''Mortal Remains'', but the description say they're same as the old design, both in function and stats.
138* PathOfInspiration: The Church of All, which is actually a front for the Esoteric Order of Dagon. The basic beliefs of the cult are innocent enough for the NEG to leave them alone, but once an initiate is introduced to Harmony, they're well on their way to being a full-blown Dagonite.
139* [[PetTheDog Pet the Blank]]: Migou turn humans into 'blank' slaves by invasive brainwashing... on the other hand, blanks retain their memory and identity, are allowed to have a vaguely normal life, and are treated very well by their masters.
140* PhysicalGod:
141** Hastur's avatar, the Ragged King.
142** Nyarlathotep as well, being the physical avatar of the soul and messenger of Outer Gods.
143*** Consistent with his portrayal as having many simultaneous "Masks", Nyarlathotep currently has ''two'' avatars on Earth (at least): [[spoiler: the Director of the Chrysalis Corporation (the ultimate CorruptCorporateExecutive), and the Blind Lady (who rules The Circle, a splinter cult made up of powerful {{Evil Sorcerer}}s]]).
144* PlayingWithFire: Pyrokinesis is one of the valid options for psychics, introduced in Vade Mecum. Ancient Enemies introduces the third "Super Tager", the Efreet, which is an ElementalEmbodiment of flame that can melt solid metal, breath flames at enemies, is immune to any fire, plasma or explosion-based damage, and radiates heat intense enough to set fire to everything directly nearby. It can also evolve into the Inferno Tager, which gives it all the powers of a Pyrokinetic Psychic as well.
145* PlotArmor: Yog-Sothoth's Guard is designed to be used as this. It grants {{Nigh Invulnerab|le}}ility and immunity from any kind of restraint to a character for five minutes, is completely indestructible, and is, by design, extremely inconvenient for [=PCs=] to use (though it's not impossible if they're planning ahead and willing to spend a significant amount of money in exchange for guaranteed victory). In any published adventure that includes an NPC with the Guard, the writers will put in a statement to the effect of "[[{{Railroading}} keep this guy alive regardless of what the players do]]."
146* PoliceState: The NEG, which is understandable given the amount of threats they face from internal enemies and the Migou's MindControl. Although, the New Earth Government can also be seen as a more dystopian example of TheFederation, which has to follow policies more suited for the [[TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}} Imperium of Man]] in order to survive.
147* PowerIncontinence: When para-psychics overexert themselves, they can enter a state called Burning, wherein they can still use their powers... with the catch that their powers don't turn ''off'' for quite a while. Zoners are in a ''permanent state'' of Burning, so you can probably figure out why they're considered a public menace.
148** For reference, a para-psychic whose skill at pyrokinesis can barely heat up cold coffee are capable of making ''a house explode'' when they Burn. No pun intended.
149* PoweredArmor:
150** Smaller mechs, such as the Crusader and Centurion. ''Unveiled Threats'' also include Spectrashield Exo-skeletal Armor, which still counted as armor instead of mecha.
151** Tagers in their OneWingedAngel form can be technically seen as an OrganicTechnology version of this, just like the Manga/{{Guyver}}.
152** Despite the fact that the Order of Dagon prefers {{kaiju}} like Megalodon over HumongousMecha, they still equip their basic troopers with this to stand up to the New Earth Government.
153* PoweredByAForsakenChild: [=QBatteries=]. ''Literally'' -- it's got a human fetus inside. Gotta love the Chrysalis Corporation!
154* PressStartToGameOver: If you choose the Para-psychic class, you start the game with a random mental disorder. If you roll a 100 for your mental disorder, your character is instantly comatose. Game over!
155* ProudWarriorRaceGuy:
156** Pick a Nazzadi, though they are a subdued example; see WarriorPoet below.
157** The Deep Ones have instances of this.
158* PsychicPowers: Parapsychics, who can vary quite a lot in power. At the low end, they can keep their coffee hot. At the high end, they can crush a HumongousMecha into a little tin can, set fire to [[KillItWithFire entire buildings]] with a thought, and [[MindRape rebuild your personality]] from the ground up. For this reason, they're subject to mandatory registration with the [[StateSec OIS]], and those with powers deemed ''Dangerous'' or ''Invasive'' have to wear public identity tags. On the plus side, both the government and corporations ''love'' their abilities, so they tend to migrate to high paying jobs.
159* TheQuisling: Many people who believe (perhaps correctly) that humanity will lose the Aeon War become this. Despairing Humans tend to go to the cults, and Nazzadi seek to return to the Migou's service, believing that they will be spared if they work for their former masters. If they aren't killed outright, the Nazzadi [[YouHaveOutLivedYourUsefulness tend not to last long]].
160* RailRoading: The sample adventures are criticized for doing this heavily.
161* RapeAsDrama: Used a lot in sample adventures.
162* RecruitersAlwaysLie: The NEG runs a recruitment program that allows citizens to sign up for temporary enlistment. In theory, a recruit would join the armed forces for two years, and they get a ton of benefits from it. In ''practice'', the wording of the small print at the bottom of the contracts is so vague that the NEG can keep them for as long as they're needed.
163* ReiAyanamiExpy: The Whites are essentially ''[=CthulhuTech=]'''s take on Rei Expies: essentially asocial not-quite-humans, with pale skin and hair, [[EmotionlessGirl near-perfect control over their selves and emotions]] and psychic abilities. Also, as of the beginning of the game, the oldest Whites are teenagers.
164* ReligionOfEvil: Subverted in the form of the Eldritch Society -- see above.
165* ScienceIsWrong: Averted. Science ''was'' wrong (well, technically incomplete). And then science got let loose against magic, and promptly [[DoingInTheWizard stole it]] and then [[FunctionalMagic did it]] [[MagiTek better]].
166* ScrewYouElves: According to some, the authors of Mortal Remains overemphasized the Nazzadi's natural fitness, and made their culture too aloof.
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168%% This is an admin notice: Do not list the index SexTropes on this page as a trope. It isn't one.
169%% The example that was previously listed under that name has been moved to the correct trope name EverybodyHasLotsOfSex.
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171* StateSec: The Office of Internal Security. They're ''supposed'' to just be the police for FunctionalMagic-related crimes, but ''in practice'', they seem a lot more like a more democratic [[Literature/NineteenEightyFour Ministry of Love]], which is probably a good thing considering what kind of enemies they have.
172** Considering that they ''do'' themselves employ parapsychics to [[BeatThemAtTheirOwnGame counter hostile parapsychics]] and that they have an extensive R&D division running... experiments on their more interesting detainees, the OIS crosses over from StateSec into a kind of {{Ghostapo}} at a few points.
173* STDImmunity: [=STDs=] have essentially been eradicated in the NEG, and any new outbreaks can be quickly solved with a little arcanotherapy.
174* ThereAreNoTherapists: Averted. Every NEG government person working with sorcery, arcanotech, or the sanity-straining bond with the inhuman Engels gets regular psychiatric care from well-trained therapists to keep them sane. Well, sort of sane. Functional at the very least, so they won't (hopefully) have a breakdown in the middle of an attack and [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion be unable to pilot]]. Even psychiatry has its limits.
175* TrainingFromHell: How Tagers are prepared to bind with their symbiont. First, they're practically tortured and emotionally manipulated by their instructors for at least six months, in order to learn how to maintain complete control over their bodies and minds. Then, they undergo the Rite of the Sacred Union, a three-day ritual in which they can't eat, drink, or sleep, having to remain focused the entire time. If ''everything'' goes correctly, they [[BodyHorror permanently fuse with]] [[CursedWithAwesome a monster from beyond space and time]]. If something goes wrong, [[LudicrousGibs well...]]
176* TranshumanAliens:
177** Humanity is in the process to doing this to itself. It's either that or extinction.
178** Dhohanoids, Tagers, Engels (which use human and Nazzadi DNA in their template), and Deep One Hybrids are already examples of this.
179* VillainProtagonist: ''Mortal Remains'' has rules for playing as Migou, while the rules for playing Dhohanoids are in ''Ancient Enemies''.
180* WarriorPoet: The Nazzadi were specifically created by the Migou to be intelligent ass-kickers, and it shows. Also, one of the things that gnaws at the Nazzadi is that as a cloned race with no members chronologically in their 40s, they have no true culture of their own, and are desperate to create one. Therefore, any of the 2nd generation Nazzadi who take up one of the arts are ''highly'' prized by their families and the Nazzadi as a whole.
181* WeWillWearArmorInTheFuture
182* WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity: Engel Pilots? Check. Sorcerers? Check. Zoner Parapsychics? Check-''squared''.
183* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Invoked and justified in ''Mortal Remains''. There are three simple methods that Migou could have use to ensure victory, but none are practical. First is a mass nuclear attack; however, they want Earth to remain habitable. Second is an engineered virus that could kill all Nazzadi, but their DNA is so close to humans that the virus will kill all humans as well, and the Migou want us as labor animals. Finally, there's orbital bombardment from their hive ship, but the Migou learned that humanity is capable of attacking orbital targets from ground with unlaunched sattelites, and thus it's risky to move the hive ship close to Earth.
184** GodzillaThreshold: However, if it looks like they will lose the war, or if it looks like the Old Ones are truly going to return ''en masse'', they will use both nukes and virus.
185* YouHaveFailedMe: The Migou consider the Nazzadi as failed experiments, and mercilessly kill them on sight.

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