The Book of Knots - Jags

of like she’s forgotten you exist, like she
doesn’t ever want to hear your name or have
anything to do with you, like she’s scared of
you. It isn’t any of those things—but if you
‘slay’ a Caretaker’s physical manifestation you
do, indeed, kind of win.
This is different than the question “can they
die” (to which the answer is “yes”).
As to how they ‘die,’ that’s another matter:
usually a matter of choice or by being
‘vituperated’ by other noted critics (of which
humans number very, very few); essentially
receiving a bad enough literary review.
What Are The Limits of Their
Power?
You ask the hard questions, huh? In person,
they are strong, tough, and can do immense
damage just by looking at you (although they
almost always delegate). They can re-shape
reality (and usually do so subtly): walk with
one for an hour and you could wind up on the
far side of the moon.
They can vanish in an instant but almost
always make a dramatic entrance. They usually
conform to some element of style when they
act: they are, in a human sense, insane.
In a larger sense, they create the world of
their offi ce—a physical manifestation of
their conceptual title and responsibilities.
This “realm” or “bubble” in Wonderland (on
Chessboards Five and Six) is an area that
conforms to their ideas of what reality, in some
sense, is like—a statement of their critique and
lit-analysis of it. Needless to say, these places
are pretty strange.
Beyond that (and within it as well) they create
life after a fashion. Caretakers intentionally
create unique, named servants who are
“beings” in the common sense. They spawn
numerous servants to take care of the physical
necessities of their households (in a way, the
servant polishing the bronze banister is sort of
like a personifi cation of gravity which keeps
people moored to the earth). They also create
The Caretakers and Their Minions in Combat
Minions of the Caretakers can be destroyed and will be
recreated by the elemental forces that are the Caretakers
themselves (recreating them may not be so much an “act
of will” as a natural occurrence). The stats they have are
for their typical incarnations. If they are killed it’ll set
back a plan or stop some initiative (and, indeed, the next
incarnation might be different in temperament!) but it won’t
get rid of the character.
Caretakers, likewise, can be destroyed—but it usually takes
an act of another collitiation of Caretakers. The process is
described as “Editing Them Out of Existence.” More often
a Caretaker will simply be “demoted” or “banished” or
“punished in some semi-permanent fashion.”
If you kill a Caretaker (their “avatar”) through anything
resembling a physical method, what usually happens is this:
the reality around you collapses quickly (maybe instantly)
and you (and everyone else nearby) are ejected back up to
Chessboard Zero (or maybe One or Two). This can happen
in a random fashion (you could wind up hundreds of miles
away—although usually on solid ground) and is moderately
traumatic (you may have amnesia, lost time, be disoriented,
etc.)
In combat with a Caretaker they may either “fi ght you
physically” (which usually happens if the attack is not a
breach of social etiquette or extremely disrespectful) or
decide to will you out of existence. The physical option is
good news since their standard forms aren’t unstoppable.
However, even in this case, they may rearrange themselves
in order to face you on a more even basis (or even an
overwhelming physical basis).
On the other hand if you really upset them, they’ll erase you
(or warp you or imprison you). This is bad news. Unless you
have attained Expert or Master level Mastery you don’t have
much of a chance against it (running is a good idea—but if
they really want you that won’t work).
Caretaker Stats
The stats Caretakers are given are for when they are the
size and scale of the characters they are interacting with.
This is their “standard form.” If attacked they will become
Large, as per Twisted and their stats will change accordingly
(they will have 4x the listed standard Damage Points). This
“Dominant Form” is adopted if they are in combat but not
“truly enraged.”
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Book of Knots - The Caretakers