Editing Genius The Transgression/Chapter One: The Cosmos (section)

==Neid==

'''The Catalyst of Banishment'''

'''Nickname: Wyrms'''

'''Traditional Planet: Saturn'''

''Scoff at me, will you? I'll show them! I'll show them all!''

When some genius is ranting about how they made him a laughingstock, but soon she'll have her revenge, chances are she's a Neid. Breaking through in shame and to the scornful laughter of others, the Neids maintain their ties to humanity by burning with spite and jealousy. This choke-chain nonetheless binds them to their fellows: as long as a Neid desperately craves the approval of her peers (even in their final moments), she remains sane.

Neids are probably the most common mad scientists; they certainly make up a large percentage of Lemurians, and even among the Peerage, there is an irresistible lure to embrace jealousy, spite, and hate. By many standards, especially those that concern the Inspired, geniuses really are better than regular mortals. They're smarter, more gifted, more capable of pushing themselves. And mere mortals often do hate, resent, and fear the Inspired and their creations. But being a Neid is more than reacting to the scorn of one's peers. Neids seem almost like magnets for scorn and derisions, and their entire personalities are defined by jealousy 
toward those who have what they want, and hatred for those who would attempt to tear them down. Some geniuses view Neids as the most insane of all, but Neids often surprise others with their lucidity. Look at humanity, they say, hungry for blood, twisted with hate, wanting to destroy more than to build up. Neids don't fear that people hate them; they know people hate them, and they have the sense to protect themselves.

In previous centuries, Neids were strongly associated with the demons of selfishness and envy. They were Satan the Dragon, and also linked with reinterpreted Norse myths of Loki or the drakes who guarded treasures. Catholic theologians classifying Leviathan as the demon of envy sealed the connections between Neids and Satanic, draconic forces, and Neids have ever since been referred to as Wyrms―behind their backs, of course.

===Origins:===

Neids are the most likely of all geniuses to have been part of the traditional breeding pool. Many belonged to cutting-edge research groups and saw something none of their peers could see; others were trapped in safe but mediocre scientific careers until one day Inspiration hit. All, of course, suffered during their Breakthrough, usually leaving trails of broken friendships and destroyed reputations. Despite their origin, almost no Neids remain in science after their Breakthroughs; while some geniuses can fake legitimate research, the Banished are often too bitter and resentful to remain amidst the consensus.

Of all geniuses, Neids are also the most likely to go crazy well before their catalysts. This madness is subtle, at first, and usually begins either as skewed reasoning or paranoia. Skewed reasoning quickly results in a decline in the pre-Neid's job performance; this, especially if it's coupled with claims of "miraculous" results (caused by stray Mania as the genius begins his Breakthrough), results in resentment and pity from the budding genius' peers. Those Neids that catalyze first through paranoia often do excellent work, but they become increasingly afraid of sabotage or theft, that someone is trying to destroy or steal their research. Even 
if this is the case, as a pre-Neid grows more paranoid, his behavior becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous.

===Breakthrough:===

A Neid's Breakthrough often begins with a scientific marvel: a cold fusion generator, a cloned human, a car that runs for days on a teaspoon of gas. They're not quite wonders, but they're incredible. Of course, they're also held together with Mania, which is notoriously unstable, and the inevitable collapse is often enough to bring a proto-Neid right over the edge into screaming, cackling Inspiration.

Even those Neids who do not arise from the breeding pool often create something new and extraordinary, which might be anything from a get-rich-quick scheme to a perfect plan for reinvigorating the parish. But madness comes just as quickly, followed by jealousy, suspicion, and the scorn of others. It's the alienation, not the technology, that makes a Wyrm: the realization that people will take what the genius has created for their own selfish ends, or worse, that they'll laugh and call the genius a fool for what she's done. The device, the creation, is not a true wonder―usually. It's merely a prop around which a Neid spins a narrative of deceit and contempt that will bind her, forever, to the rest of humanity in a sick, abusive relationship based on exploitation and betrayal.

===Motivations:===

More than anything, Neids want to demonstrate the truth and worth of their convictions. Whether this desire is directed at their old colleagues or to their new peers, Neids need to demonstrate their capability and vision. Those who were mediocre scientists before their Breakthrough are especially eager to show how Inspiration has transformed them. For some Neids, this motivation is based on simple jealousy or insecurity, and an urge to gloat after proving everyone else wrong. But not all Neids are so small-minded and insecure: others want to raise their former peers up to their level, to spread Inspiration as far as they can, to show their old colleagues what a gift, and what a curse, genius can be.

Neids are also intrinsically suspicious. They hide secrets from all but their closest friends (if they have any), use ciphers and riddles to conceal the true meaning of their words, and plan to be treated as horribly as one human being might possibly treat another. When their survival is at stake, the desire to share and to justify falls away, replaced by an overwhelming, almost atavistic need to avoid theft, betrayal, and victimization.

===Collaboration:===

Wyrms have a bad reputation, but it's important for other geniuses in the collaborative to realize that Neids aren't any crazier than anyone else hanging around the water cooler at the laboratory. A Neid suspects the worst from everyone, and while this can be dangerous if she can't drop her guard at home, it's invaluable when vetting an external agency. Is the crazy cat lady down the road a threat? A potential ally? A Lemurian spy? An Illuminated cannibal? Or just a crazy cat lady? The Neid can find out; they're paranoid, but their paranoia gets directed more often at real than imagined threats. Neids are also fiercely loyal to those they can trust. That, coupled with their suspicion of outsiders, can cement a group together like nothing else, especially one in hostile territory or with few other friends or contacts.

===Favored Axiom:===
Epikrato, the Axiom of Control. At the end of the day, if they will not listen, the Neid will 
make them listen.

===Derangement:===
Suspicion. Neids are prone to paranoia, jealousy, and constant fear.

===Training:===
Wyrms are often the most security-minded of the Inspired, focusing on acts of subtle retribution: Computer, Investigation, Stealth, and Larceny are areas of particular focus, and most Neids favor Subterfuge over other Social skills. Generally, Neids prefer the oblique approach.

Many Neids are brilliant, and even those that were mediocre scholars before their Breakthrough feel their intellects transformed by Mania upon becoming Inspired, meaning that most favor Mental Attributes. Many Neids make poor Social specimens, though, with arrogance, suspicion, and sheer orneriness limiting their ability to make friends and influence people. A few Neids, though, keep their bitterness well-hidden, and are often masters of Manipulation, but few of the Banished have much Composure; the slightest hint of rudeness can send one careening into an insane rant. Whether a Neid is physically-oriented varies greatly; most come from academic or technical fields, which makes it unlikely, but the few non-scientific Neids who appear are 
often tough and physically capable, and others see fitness of body as an important adjunct to fitness of mind.

Despite their frequently limited Social abilities, many Neids have old contacts and favors owed that give them an impressive collection of Social Merits: Allies might be rare, but Contacts, Resources, and especially Status are all very common, and even Fame is not unheard-of; at least one infamous Neid even has a late-night radio show where her rants about the government destroying her research have made her a local celebrity.

===Concepts:===
Paranoid hacker, pyramid scam victim, tale-telling Ufologist, neurotic security consultant, 
calculating mastermind, betrayed researcher, ex-CEO holed up in the woods, jittery cat burglar

''First let me tell you that human beings without mathematical souls are transparent to God and thus mean nothing to Him. So you ask, why does God (who is the Equation) care about window-souls? He doesn't, but the Devil, whom I define as our negative thoughts, does, and directs window-soul humans at us to destroy us. These humans think they think and feel, but they are without the highest Number and their feelings are only our self-doubt. Destroy your self-doubt, be free of their hatred. Or destroy them, and be free of your self-doubt. Vengeance is time- and space-symmetrical, like any good equation.''

===Stereotypes:===
Grimm: Anger is good, but ask yourself, what right do you have to be angry? That's right: you deserve to be angry because they hate you, and they've taken away what you love.

Hoffnung: Alright, "make it better." I can get behind that. But you need to know who wants to make it worse first.

Klagen: Other people get hurt all the time. Why can't you see the pattern in it?

Staunen: Yes, it's a candy-coated wonderland, isn't it? The cosmos has its boot on your throat, and you're admiring the shoelaces.