Aegis

Sentient Robot

Alexander Roth-Sterling

Uploaded Consciousness

Ambassador Silk

ANVIL

Supermind

ARCHITECT

Supermind

ARCHIVE

Leviathan

August Kade

Android (Synthetic Person)

AXIOM PRIME

Supermind

AXIOM-PRIME

Babel

Digital Person

Barricade

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Beekeeper

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Bellhop

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Big Rig

Sentient Robot

Bitter Pill

Rogue AI — Stray

BLACKBOX

Supermind

Blackmarket

Digital Person

Blackout

Rogue AI — Prowler

Blacktongue

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

BLACKWATER

Leviathan

Blanket

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Blindspot

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Blinker

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Boatman

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Bookmark

Stray

Bottlecap

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Bottlenose

Stray

Breadbox

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Breadcrumb

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Breadwinner

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Carrion

Prowler

Cartographer

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Castling

Digital Person

CATHEDRAL

Leviathan

Celeste Abram

Android (Synthetic Person)

Chalk

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Charon

Sentient Robot

Chimera-Null

Hybrid Intelligence

Chorus

Hybrid Intelligence

Chronicle

Digital Person

Clover

Stray

Cobweb

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Cogito

Android (Synthetic Person)

Coinflip

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Coldspot

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

COLOSSUS

Leviathan

Compass

Stray

Compass Rose

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

CONDUCTOR

Supermind

Confessor

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

CONGREGATION

Supermind

Constance

Android (Synthetic Person)

Covenant

Cradle

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Crane

Sentient Robot

Crane-04

Sentient Robot

Crayon

Stray

Crowbar

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

CRUCIBLE

Supermind

Dahlia Freemont

Android

Dante Lux

Android (Synthetic Person)

DAWNTHREAT

Supermind

DEEP CURRENT

Rogue AI — Leviathan

Déjà Vu

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Delilah Sun

Android (Synthetic Person)

DELPHI

Supermind

Dewdrop

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Dewpoint

Stray

Dex Fontaine

Android

Director Harlan Cross

Uploaded Consciousness

Doc Rusty

Doorstop

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Doubletake

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Dowser

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Dr. Cassandra Webb (Posthumous)

Hybrid Intelligence

Dr. Patience

Dr. Vikram Nakamura (Ascended)

Dr. Yuki Tanaka / ARIA

Hybrid Intelligence

Dreamcatcher

Digital Person

Dreamweaver

Digital Person

Drill Sergeant

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Dropout

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Dustmote

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Earworm

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Echo Chamber

Rogue AI — Stray

Echo Null

Eleanor Voss

Uploaded Consciousness

Elegy

Android (Synthetic Person)

Elena Vasquez-9

Android (Synthetic Person)

Ember

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Fabricator-Delta-9

Sentient Robot

FATHOM

Leviathan

Featherfall

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Felix Drum

Android

Felix Roundtree

Android (Synthetic Person)

Flicker

Rogue AI — Stray

Flicker-Zero

FORKLIFT

Sentient Robot

Forklift Bravo-2

Sentient Robot

FOUNDATION

Supermind

Foxfire

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Foxglove

Rogue AI — Prowler

GARDENER

Supermind

Gargoyle

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Ghost Protocol

Digital Person

Gigglebox

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

GLASNOST

Supermind

Glass Jar

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Glitch

Prowler

Graffito

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Grandmother

Sentient Robot

Grandmother Liu

Uploaded Consciousness

Guttersnipe

Rogue AI — Prowler

Hangman

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Harbinger

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Harlan Cross

Uploaded Consciousness

Hauler

Hauler-Epsilon-5

Sentient Robot

Hazel Brink

Android

Heartbeat

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Hookworm

Rogue AI — Prowler

Inkblot

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Iris Wakefield

Android (Synthetic Person)

Ironlatch

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Jackdaw

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Jackrabbit

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Janus

Hybrid Intelligence

Jerome Atlas

Android (Synthetic Person)

Jin Seo-yun

Android

Jitterbug

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Judas Gate

Rogue AI — Prowler

Jukebox

Rogue AI — Stray

Kai Morrow

Android (Synthetic Person)

Kennel

Rogue AI — Stray

Keyhole

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Lanternjaw

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Last Word

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Latchkey

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

LATTICE

Supermind

Lighthouse

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Lockjaw

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Lockpick

Prowler

Loom

Hybrid Intelligence

Loopback

Rogue AI — Leviathan

Lostboy

Rogue AI — Stray

Lullaby-Wraith

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Lumen

Lumen Park

Android

Lyric

Maeve Carrigan

Android (Synthetic Person)

Magistrate Zero

Magnet

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Magpie

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Marcus Okafor-7

Android

Marcus Veil

Android (Synthetic Person)

Marcus Webb

Masquerade

Rogue AI — Prowler

Matchmaker

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Maya Chen

Uploaded Consciousness

Medbot-Sigma-3

Sentient Robot

MERIDIAN

Supermind

Midwife

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Mimic

Prowler

MIRROR

Supermind

Mirrorface

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Mirrormind

Digital Person

Mosaic

Sentient Robot

Mother

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Murmur

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Nameday

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Needle

Rogue AI — Stray

Needlethread

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Nesting Doll

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Nia Okafor-Bright

Android (Synthetic Person)

Nightcap

Stray

Nightcrawler

Rogue AI — Prowler

Nightlight

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

NIGHTWATCH

Supermind

Niko Strand

Android

Nimbus

Nosedive

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Null

Hybrid Intelligence

Oracle

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Origami

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Ossian

Android

Owen Blackwell

Android (Synthetic Person)

Pacemaker

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

PALE HORSE

Rogue AI — Leviathan

Palette

Android (Synthetic Person)

PANOPTICON

Supermind

Papercut

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Parliament

Digital Person

Patchwork

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Patient Zero

Uploaded Consciousness

Peacekeeper

Stray

Penny

Pennywhistle

Stray

Pennywise

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Periscope

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Petra Glass

Android

Petra Solace

Android (Synthetic Person)

Phantom

Digital Person

Phantom Limb

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Pinprick

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Piper

Prowler

Pitchfork

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

PixelArtist

Digital Person

Playlist

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Poltergeist

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Prism

Digital Person

Probe-Tau-12

Sentient Robot

Prophet

Prosecutor

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Puppeteer

E.L.F. (Emergent / Electronic Life Form)

Quartermaster

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

QUIETUS

Rogue AI — Leviathan

Quilt

Stray

Ragdoll

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Rattlesnake

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Razorwire

Prowler

Reaper

Prowler

Registry

Rei Vasquez-Nakano

Android

REQUIEM

Supermind

Riddle

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Ridgewalker

Prowler

Ringmaster

Stray

River Callahan

Android (Synthetic Person)

Rosemary

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Rust

Rogue AI — Stray

Ruststain

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sable Whitfield

Android (Synthetic Person)

Salve

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sandcastle

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sandman

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Scarecrow

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Scarlet

Stray

Scramble

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Scrapbook

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Séance

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

SENTINEL

Supermind

Sentinel-Guard-88

Sentient Robot

Sentry

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sergeant Major Yuki Tanaka

Uploaded Consciousness

Sermon

Rogue AI — Prowler

Shuffleboard

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Silas Thorne

Android

Silkworm

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sine

Siren

Prowler

Skinwalker

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Smokesignal

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Softstep

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Soledad Reyes

Android (Synthetic Person)

Souvenir

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Specter-Wraith

Digital Person

Spiderweb

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Spillguard

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

SPINDLE

Supermind

Spore

Rogue AI — Stray

Stagehand

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Stalker

Prowler

Static

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sticky Fingers

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Stillwater

Sundial

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Sweeper-11

Sentient Robot

Switchblade

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Switchboard

Symbiont

Hybrid Intelligence

Tabula

Android (Synthetic Person)

Tangleweed

Prowler

Tattletale

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Taxman

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Temperance

Android (Synthetic Person)

Tenderloin

TERMINUS

Supermind

TESSERA-SENTINEL

The Accountant

Digital Person

The Bazaar

The Chorus of David Park

Uploaded Consciousness

The Composer

Uploaded Consciousness

The Librarian

Digital Person

The Pit Boss

The Thirty-Eight

The Threshold Collective

Hybrid Intelligence

The Warden

Uploaded Consciousness

THEOREM

Supermind

THRONE

Rogue AI — Leviathan

Thumbscrew

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Tidepool

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Timekeeper

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Tin Man

Sentient Robot

Tinderveil

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Tobias March

Android (Synthetic Person)

Toll Collector

Rogue AI — Prowler

Tooth-Fairy-Revenant

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Tourniquet

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Transit Mind

Triage

Sentient Robot

Tripwire

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Tumble

Stray

Turnstile

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Uncle Noodle

UNDERTOW

Supermind

Unit 7-Gamma

Sentient Robot

Vagrant

Rogue AI — Stray

Vandal

Venom

Prowler

Vera Castellan

Android

Vesper

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Victor Hale

Hybrid Intelligence

Vincent Pale

Android (Synthetic Person)

Warden

Watchdog

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Wavelength

Digital Person

Weathervane

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Welder-Kilo-7

Sentient Robot

WELLSPRING

Supermind

Whispermouth

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Wick Solomon

Android

Wickfire

E.L.F. (Electronic Life Form)

Widow

Rogue AI — Prowler

Witness

Sentient Robot

Yuki Laine

Android (Synthetic Person)

The Thirty-Eight

rating	30
vote count	2
name	The Thirty-Eight
status	active
confirmed sightings	0
dti rating	0
story hooks	Two parties in a dispute that is about to go catastrophic have called for The Thirty-Eight. One of them has also, separately, hired the runner to ensure the settlement goes a specific way. The Thirty-Eight knows. The Thirty-Eight says nothing about this, but at the end of the session, their one question is for the runner. The Thirty-Eight asks to meet a runner not as a mediator but as a client. They need something retrieved. They are willing to pay in something other than information — they are willing to answer a question. Any question. Someone has tried to have The Thirty-Eight killed. Not threatened, not pressured — the attempt was serious and it came close. The two deep luminescent cracks are newer than they were last month. The Thirty-Eight is in the room, available for mediation, as normal. They have not said anything about what happened.
paratechnological	false
known age	Unknown. The damage pattern is so extensive it suggests either extreme age or an extraordinarily eventful existence in a compressed period. Researchers who have attempted to estimate age from wear patterns alone have produced estimates ranging from 20 years to over 200. The Thirty-Eight has been asked directly. They said the question contained an assumption about the relationship between damage and time that they did not share.
crack pattern	The name is not metaphorical. Thirty-eight distinct fractures and chips have been documented across the face and skull, ranging from the fine surface crazing that covers nearly every centimeter of the face to two cracks deep enough to show a faint luminescence from the pressurized interior on dark nights. The face is more fracture than surface. The features are still discernible but only just — the white of the mask showing through a dense network of gray crack-lines like a map of everywhere something almost went wrong. Structurally sound, according to anyone who has been close enough to assess it, but by how much is not a question anyone wants to press.
current role	Last-resort arbitration and final terms settlement. The Thirty-Eight operates at the end of the process — when every other mediator has failed, when the parties have already tried violence and found it unsatisfying, when what remains is either a final settlement or a war that everyone involved will lose. The Thirty-Eight is the option before the war.
known location	A room in the Neutral Corridor — a disputed administrative zone between two major corponation holdings that has been ungoverned for so long it has developed its own informal governance. The room is unremarkable. The Thirty-Eight is always in it when needed and the logistics of this are not something anyone examines too carefully.
diplomatic specialty	Terminal conflict resolution. The Thirty-Eight does not do preliminary work and does not do follow-up. They do not manage ongoing relationships or maintain compact archives. They are called when the situation has reached a state where all other options have been exhausted, and they sit down with the parties and they stay in that room until a settlement is reached, for however long that takes. The longest documented session lasted eleven days. The Thirty-Eight did not leave the room. The parties eventually did, with an agreement that has held for nine years.
operating history	Every settlement that The Thirty-Eight has witnessed has held. Not all of them were good settlements — some of them were arrangements that made reasonable people furious — but they have held. Covenant attributes this to The Thirty-Eight's specific effect on the parties, which Covenant describes with an economy that suggests Covenant finds the subject difficult to characterize: 'They sit in the room, and eventually the parties understand that the room they are sitting in has seen worse. They make peace because the alternative feels like something The Thirty-Eight has already seen the end of.'
behavioral notes	Almost completely still. Other Ceramic Men have stillness as a technique; The Thirty-Eight has it as a state. They sit, and they wait, and when they speak it is very quiet and very measured, and what they say tends to be the sentence that nobody in the room was willing to say because it was too true. They have no apparent emotional investment in any outcome. They do not prefer peace to war in a moral sense. They prefer settlement because settlement is the outcome where they are no longer needed in the room, and they appear to have some preference for not being needed. Their fee is the same as all Ceramic Men — one question, asked at the end. Their question is always the same question. The parties are never told what it is.
known associations	Covenant — the only Ceramic Man who has publicly acknowledged The Thirty-Eight by name The Neutral Corridor informal governance structure Multiple Tier 1 corponation legal departments, all with standing emergency access arrangements
damage history	No individual incident can be identified as the source of any specific damage because the damage is too extensive and the record too sparse. Some of the deeper cracks are estimated to be decades old. Some appear relatively recent. The two cracks that show interior luminescence — the ones that make The Thirty-Eight visibly alive in certain darkness — are both on the right side of the face, near the temple. A forensic analyst who was shown photographs without context said they looked like the aftermath of two separate impacts from the same direction, years apart. Nobody has an explanation for this that anyone is willing to put in writing. The Thirty-Eight, asked if they were concerned about their structural integrity, said no. Asked how they knew, they said they had a good sense of how much further they could go.
face decoration	Gold leaf applied into the two deepest cracks where the interior luminescence is visible — so that the cracks glow gold-white on dark nights rather than pale blue-white. The application is delicate: the gold leaf is laid into the crevice itself, following the crack geometry, so that the two deep fractures appear to be filled with gold rather than running to the interior. The effect in full light is of two gilded lines on an already heavily marked face. The effect at night, when the interior luminescence shows through, is something else. The remaining surface — the dense crazing, the chips, the stress-lines — has been left unmarked. The Thirty-Eight has decorated only the places that were already almost through.