Vissers

Visser is a term used to describe humans who have been infected by the Spectral viral attack. This attack resulted in Virally Induced Sociopathic Response (VISR, or Visser; it rhymes with hisser), a gene altering disease which permanently changes the chemistry of the brain. The results are a group of people incapable of normal social behavior. Varying from violent, unreasoning individuals (State 12) to those only slightly affected (State 2), the victims of this virus have destroyed civilization on Rhand. The Gamemaster may sum the roll of two six-sided dice to determine a Visser's State of Infection.

Vissers are drawn from all sectors of human society. Victims include former Imperial troops, Bondsmen, tourists, and virtually every other group on the planet. Fully 80% of the population was infected. Although Vissers have destroyed society, they are not unthinking animals; they are simply people incapable of handling normal social organization.

Within their own ranks, they have a primitive social structure. True, it is untempered by mercy, forethought, or compassion, but they understand the need for teamwork and fear death as much as anyone. Vissers simply cannot handle the strain of dealing with a social setting encompassing a large group. In small groups where each individual knows to fear and respect the others, they know their place and function fairly sociably. But place a Visser in a setting in which he does not know his standing, and there is an immediate struggle for dominance. Often these struggles are bloody, especially if the group is well armed. But once dominance is established, a group can be somewhat stable.



The size of the group tends to be self correcting, since as the group becomes larger it becomes more destructive. If this destruction cannot be vented on an outside element, it is released internally. Thus the size of a band depends on the leader's ability to control his members. A capable leader will keep his forces in line by releasing their destructive energy on outside elements and rewarding his band with the spoils of victory.

Victory can then attract more Visser bands, and this is when Vissers become most dangerous. When disorganized, they are roving, dispersed bands of trouble. Under one banner, they form a tidal wave which can crush anything in its path. Once this wave begins, more and more Visser elements will come to serve the dominant leader. As long as his successes continue, his horde will continue to grow, as additional groups whole-heartedly submit to his leadership. At this point the Visser become fanatics and make dangerous enemies, for they fight with a fixated passion and fury.

The arms, equipment, and attire of Vissers vary widely, depending on their original caste, their recent experiences, and how unstable they are. In general they still have the clothing and equipment they had before the Apocalypse, augmented by whatever they have been able to steal, and modified to suit their personal tastes. Many Vissers adopt a hard, violent style, and chains, spikes, and spare knives are popular Visser accessories.