SHU

Machinery that interfaces with the psyche, while exceedingly rare, is by no means unknown to certain groups. It goes without saying that one such machine, produced by a Russian group, fell into the hands of the Japanese government, whereupon it was re-purposed by the special task force Department 4 in a decidedly different manner than how it was previously used.

Specifically, they not only figured out how to use it to tap into the Collective Unconsciousness, but how to deliver the elements of a person's psyche there... and how to interact with and reconstitute their minds. It could be used to heal, but it could also be used to detain those with supernatural powers deemed to be a threat to society.

This device is called the Special Handling Unit, or SHU.

Overview

The brainchild of the Japanese government, the machine called the Special Handling Unit or SHU, bears only a passing resemblance to the device from which it was derived. Perhaps it could be said that the Russian-made device gave them pointers rather than directly showing them the way; while vaguely similar in some respects, the overall mechanics and goal of the machine and its creators diverges significantly.

Through research, they had already some idea of the underlying principles behind Personas and Shadows. What follows with the SHU is applied science, thanks to some key insights on how to interface with abstract elements of the mind through a machine.

The SHU functions, in broad non-technical terms, by warding off a section of the Collective Unconsciousness, called the Kadath Mandala, then deliberately shattering the subject's psyche into that pre-defined space. In here, the eleven elements of the subject's psyche, called Trapezohedrons for their relative shape, can be collected and manipulated to repair or adjust certain aspects of that person's mind by a crew which uses the machinery to descend into the excavated space of the Kadath Mandala.

However, collecting and reintegrating parts of the psyche isn't as simple as going out to the park to collect flowers. The pieces of someone's mind are guarded by archetypes, and other psychic components. To add to that, though Kadath Mandala might be temporarily removed from the rest of the Unconsciousness, it is the home of demons... and other sorts of natives. An expedition is best attempted armed and prepared for trouble.

Functionality and Use

Effectively, there are two parties who interface with the device: the subject who will have their psyche shattered, and the crew that will head the expedition into Kadath. Both parties must be unconscious prior to using the machine. Unconsciousness is typically achieved via medication.

For the subject's part, they are hooked up to the core of the machine, isolated from the rest of the staging ground. Other leads connect the exploratory team to the subject and 'host'. Seated or reclining positions for either are mandatory; most people can't remain on their feet and unconscious. Their consciousnesses are projected forward into the excavated space.

While physical injuries don't carry over from within the SHU, the team will recall everything that happens to them while within the Collective Unconsciousness. Death, on the other hand, is permanent; effectively, it represents a completely destroyed consciousness. The environment might be controlled, but it is by no means free of hazards.

Memory of the SHU for the subject typically ranges from 'nothing at all recalled' to 'a vague sense that something happened' to 'dreams that vaguely reflect some of the events that took place among their shattered consciousness'. Hypnosis therapy might also uncover fragments of an unconscious recollection of what happened, but complete and perfect recall of the events that took place is impossible.

In OOC terms, a character who is subjected to the SHU may receive any of the following benefits through completing a SHU Psyche Dungeon:

• They may recover from Shadow-Possession
• They may have psychic damage or memory loss repaired
• They may receive criminal rehabilitation (for example, a player of a dyed-in-the-wool villain who decides that they would like their character to change sides).

Any and all changes must be OOCly agreed upon by the player in question.

In IC terms, these effects are extremely likely to fail if the character does not at least partially want to go through with them.

Who Can Use This?

In theory, anyone, but due to fact that it is in the hands of the various area offices of Department 4 across Japan, direct access is prohibited to anyone outside the organization. Department 4 may extend (in the instances of Shadow-Unpossession or psychic damage) supervised use of the SHU to allies. Those who can demonstrate immediate distress or a need for intervention may also be subjected to SHU, even if they are not allies, though additional caution is taken in these cases.

Another way to become subjected to SHU is to be detained and put on trial (assuming that one hasn't been witnessed in the act of supernatural crime multiple times prior, then it becomes too much of a safety hazard for the judges and public defenders) to determine whether one /is/ guilty as charged and not, for example, actually innocent or a civilian.

Components of the Psyche

There are eleven components of the psyche. Once shattered by the processes of the SHU, these crystallize into Trapezohedrons which contain the particular psychic component. These are invariably held by manifestations of the person's psyche, called Guardians. All of these are present for all characters without fail, though they can be damaged or otherwise 'misaligned'.

The components can be divided broadly as belonging to the outer world, or the parts that develop in reaction to the experiences and the environment around an individual; the inner world, or the world that develops as the individual explores and reacts to themself. A third grouping unites these two realms and draws upon the development of both.

The parts of the psyche that compose the outer world are:

• Perception: This quality reflects an individual's ability to retrieve and make sense of the world around them. Perception is important because it allows a person to gain information about the world in which they exist.

• Knowledge: This quality reflects an individual's ability to learn and begin to understand the world around them. Knowledge is important because it allows a person to identify concepts and familiarize themselves with aspects of their world. Knowledge can be thought of as 'applied perception'.

• Memory: This quality reflects an individual's past experiences. Memory is important because it gives a person context for who they are and what they have done. Memory can also be thought of as 'stored knowledge'.

The parts of the psyche that compose the inner world are:

• Perseverance: This quality reflects emotional and psychic resilience and stamina. Perseverance is important because it allows a person to endure setbacks and hardships in pursuit of their goals.

• Emotion: This quality reflects the depth and breadth of feelings. Emotions are important because they give people reasons to act or not act in various situations.

• Passion: This quality reflects not just impulses and basic instincts, but desires. Desires are important because they give a person reason to live and to work to achieve things.

• Wisdom: This quality reflects insight drawn from experience and understanding. Wisdom is important because it allows a person to see what needs to be done without being told what it is.

• Will: This quality reflects inner drive and determination. Will is important because it allows a person to set out to accomplish their goals and obtain their desires.

The parts of the psyche that unite both worlds are:

• Reason: This quality reflects the ability to apply logic to themselves and the world. Reason is important because it allows a person to justify or change ideas and institutions.

• Ethics: This quality reflects morality and the perception of right and wrong. Ethics are important because they give a person guidance for their actions and their interaction with the rest of the world.

• Introspection: This quality reflects the ability to examine oneself and the world. Introspection is important because it allows a person to attempt to determine if things are as they really are.

Guardians

All aspects of the psyche are held by Guardians, which are manifestations of the character's psyche in some way. These are typically archetypes of some sort. An archetype can be almost anything, though please when selecting an archetype, keep theme and tone concerns in mind.

One special note follows for the Shadow, if it shows up in the SHU: The Shadow is repressed desire and thought given form in the SHU and split off from the Persona. As opposed to a TV dungeon, these sides of the self don't accuse or otherwise talk about the character's failings or repressed thoughts. Instead, they /are/ those repressed thoughts and can quite erratically act on them. These Shadows have no faces other than cracked white featureless masks with absolutely nothing but a dark expanse behind them.

The following is a short list of some elements that may show up in regards to guardians:

• The Persona - the character's Persona, if they have one (or even if they don't!) may show up
• The Shadow - as noted above, this type differs from a TV Shadow in manifestation
• The Anima/Animus - The Anima/Animus - A man has an Anima and a woman has an Animus. It represents their masculine/feminine side. Note, this depends on the gender the character identifies as
• Any of a number of archetypes. Look on Wikipedia for some examples, or also check here

No guardian will give up their Trapezohedron lightly. Some will demand that the team answer a question for them, always abstractly related to the psychic element at hand. Others might be aggressive and only force will see them hand over their prize. Still others might present a puzzle, while some yet might prefer a lengthy conversation about the meaning of some abstract element (always related to the psyche fragment at hand). Whatever it is, the team needs to work for their Trapezohedron.

SHU Psyche Dungeon Notes and Specifics

• Apps are not needed for a trip into the SHU (unusual events or grid/theme-affecting elements aside) but the broad outline should be worked out between all involved parties, which must include someone from Department 4 who is an adult and trained in how the device is used, in advance. A PC D4 Member is required as an escort for SHU psyche dungeons.

• Unlike a TV or Abyss dungeon, the environment is not affected as much by the character's mind. This is because rather than the space forming around them or because of them, elements of their psyche are instead deposited into a previously 'neutral' region of the Collective Unconsciousness. These places are always places that can't exist in the waking world, and are very abstract in their nature and appearance. Elements relating to a character may exist, but it would be much more affected by universal archetypes and concepts that can relate to the entire human experience rather than specifically that of the character in question. Some examples:
  • The walkways are roiling ocean waves, suspended in a void from which indistinct faces can be almost discerned.
  • The paths drawn in crayon above an ocean of paper shreddings.
  • Rooms where gravity seems optional connected to one another with Escher-like staircases.

• To some extent, even the interaction with the Guardians (with three exceptions) is typically abstract. While they are all related to the character, and while the questions and demands they make also refer back to the character's situation and this part of their mind, it is more allegory than anything else, the references are not as cut-and-dried as in other areas. This, too, is a reflection of the location and the mechanism that brought everyone there.
  • The exceptions come in the form of the Shadow, the Anima/Animus, and the Persona, if the latter is present. These have such an intimate connection to the character that if they show up, the references are that much more blatant, particularly so with the Shadow, as stated earlier. Even the Persona itself may have a few choice things to say.

• If a Trapezohedron is deliberately interacted with, a reflection of that element of the psyche for that character may be viewed. For example, someone viewing the Passion Trapezohedron may witness some of the character's desires, while someone interacting with the Ethics Trapezohedron may learn some of the character's morals and what they think is absolutely right or absolutely wrong.

• Not all eleven components must be collected for a dungeon to be successful. If the player prefers, they may simply focus on a few or even just one aspect that interests them and is most relevant to their character. The others can be assumed to be retrieved by the SHU upon exit from Kadath, or even collected off-screen.

• As mentioned, it is possible, if rare, for natives of Kadath to get caught up in the SHU. These primarily include cats from a land called Ulthar and their nemeses, the rodent-like Zoog. Both of them are intelligent and can converse with humans. For the most part, the concerns of humans aren't of interest to them, but there can be exceptions.

• Finally, it should be said again that changes are by the consent of the player alone, and that the character themselves must in part desire the changes that do take place for a dungeon to take place or even to be successful.