Gremlins(TM)

Gremlins™
Ethereal Spirits

Corporeal Forces: 2 Strength: 6 Agility: 2
Ethereal Forces: 3 Intelligence: 6 Precision: 6
Celestial Forces: 2 Will: 2 Perception: 6
Vessel: small, vaguely green humanoid/2, Charisma -1

Elements: Tech (Machines) (primary); Emotions (Fear) (secondary)

Affinities: Artifice (strong), Emotion (fear) (moderate), Puissance (moderate)

Skills: Area Knowledge/1 (local area), Chemistry/1, Computer Operation/1, Dreaming/6, Driving/1, Emote/1, Enchant/3, Engineering/2, Electronics/2, Fighting/1, Language (Helltongue/1, Local/3), Large Weapon/1 (hammer), Lockpicking/1, Survival/1 (Marches)

Songs: Artifice (All/1), Draining (Celestial/1), Entropy (Ethereal/1), Machines (All/1), Motion (Ethereal/1)

Dreads: Failure to fix something broken/3 (3pts/level)

Image: A small, vaguely green humanoid with pointed ears, wearing a jumpsuit with various tools attached. It will also always have a very large hammer.

These are not exactly traditional gremlins, even if by "traditional" you mean "came into existence within the last three or so human generations." They are, in fact, deliberate reversals of gremlins, from their very strands onwards. Historically, gremlins have been Fear-spirits with Tech overlays that break complicated machines: Gremlins™ are Tech-spirits with elements of Fear that keep equipment and machines in repair. Where gremlins are chaotic, willful, and free, Gremlins™ are restricted, easily dominated, and openly enslaved. The only real similarity is in appearance - which even then gives a subtle "mirror" feel to the perceptive observer.

Gremlins™, as noted above, are repairmen; the Media sells them to Domains and pantheons needing expert technicians and artisans. They generally make quiet, docile slaves: in fact, some find them too docile. A Gremlin™ is easily dominated by anyone of more than modest Will, thus making it necessary to watch over them closely in any but the most secure areas. They are still worth the inflated price; Tech spirits are still somewhat rare, and the skill set possessed by the average Gremlin™ is very valuable to any pantheon attempting to come to terms with modern technology. This is probably the major reason why they are only sold to ethereals that are firmly on Hell's side of the War.

The Media has declared that the process by which Gremlins™ are adapted is "proprietary," which most of Beleth's side of the Marches has accurately translated as "attempt to find out and we'll eat your liver." It is fairly clear that Nybbas has enlisted Vaputech's assistance in the process; and it is agreed that the process is one of adaptation instead of creation. Certainly there is a permanent bounty on traditional gremlins delivered, alive and essentially unharmed, to the Media's agents. Gremlins™ very carefully do not discuss the process, or even admit that there was one. It is possible that this even represents a real memory loss, although there doesn't seem to be an obvious point to suppressing the memories.

Interestingly, researchers at Revelations & Development have begun researching the Gremlin™ phenomenon. There are some reports that the process by which the ethereals are adapted does not always produce a permanent change; and that the reversal process usually results in an exceptionally angry Fear-spirit that has been temporarily boosted to primal levels. It should be no surprise that this intrigues Servitors of Lightning, particularly if the reversal can be triggered at range. The trick is in getting useful (and ethical) experimental data...