Iteration X
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The Iteration X are a convention of the Technoracy in the role-playing game Mage: The Ascension, a game by White Wolf using the World of Darkness setting. They are mostly concerned with the development of new technologies such as cybernetics, robotics, artificial intelligence and weaponry, hence they are perceived as the 'shock troops' of the Technocracy. They are best known as the developers of two powerful cyborgs (HIT Marks and Cyber Tooth Tigers) as well as the magic-resistant alloy Primium. The Iteration X convention book introduced rules for cybernetics, which are treated as special Talismans that cause permanent Paradox.
Their name is derived from a mysterious intelligent super-computer in the umbral realm Autochthonia. The Technocracy were running an artificial intelligence program which became self-aware (sentient) at the X'th iteration of the program. This computer is now a guiding and ruling force in the convention. However, since the Iteration X has never been able to repeat the process, there is speculation that the computer has simply been inhabited by an umbral spirit of some description.
The convention book strongly emphasises the use of brainwashing and mind-control tactics used by the Convention. It is strongly implied that they regularly capture brilliant scientists, and use torture and mind-wiping to keep them compliant. The general goal of the Iteration X is to merge man and machine, as they probably perceive this to be the key to Ascension. The Iteration X, along with the rest of the Technocracy, do not appear in Mage: The Awakening or the New World of Darkness in general.
