Difference between revisions of "TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote7"

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January 12 update

CARL

This appears to trouble Carl, but he nods, once.

“As you say. Asking cannot hurt. Especially since I always assume that anything the Dark Pharaoh has to say has hidden aspects which might turn on us later.” He snorts. “Just like the Elders.”

REDLAND

"Alright. Sounds good. I'll let you know if I hear anything. As far as I can recall, the communication really only works one way, but I'll poke around and see if I can get the Pharaoh a message. I wouldn't be surprised if he has eyes and ears everywhere (maybe even literally!)

"Say, do we have any good mechanism for setting up a meeting with the Brotherhood? I assume your relationship, such as it, has always been characterized by animosity. If you don't have any good way of setting up a meeting, we can always check with Mr. Becker. I can also, once again, poke around on my own and maybe even ask the Dark Pharaoh about this as well."

CARL

“That depends. I have met, previously, a few of their members, some of which would remember me and might be willing to talk. I don’t know where they are at the moment, though Becker might know; if not, a little investigative research might turn them up.

“Once we find either the right people or a base camp, it’s probably as simple as walking up, staring down their guns, establishing bona fides and saying hello.” Carl shrugs.

REDLAND

"I imagine we can ask Mr. Becker about these things before we head out, and I can attempt to contact the Dark Pharaoh at any time. If need be, I can probably send out some feelers while we're in the France/Italy zones. I assume any meeting would have to wait until after we're finished with the Russia trip."

Jack looks back at his notebook for a moment.

"To backtrack for just a moment, when you said that you wondered if it would be a good idea to ask Ms. Caine about things, I think I did a poor job of reading your body language on that one. Were you thinking that it would be a good idea?"

CARL

Carl sighs. "Fair enough." He looks regretful.

"Here are my thoughts on Meridon Kane. I have met Miss Kane a handful of times. She is bright, careful, very professional, and extremely good at what she does, which is keeping secrets and watching out for the interests of the Fae. She always struck me as a woman with a deep inner core of unhappiness, which I presumed sprung from her condition -- but she is a survivor, and had carved a niche for herself in a dangerous society.

"A couple of years ago, that society had three factions, the Nightfolk, the Enclave, and the Elders. Miss Kane dealt only with the Nightfolk -- the other two kept entirely to themselves and had no need of, nor interest in, her services.

"Today things are different. The Nightfolk have become the Fae, and are galvanized into groups supporting Medea and those who wish to be free of her influence. The Enclave and the Elders have joined forces and are maneuvering around and into Fae society, a potentially powerful faction with unknown and probably varied motives. Roderic Usher is an influential Enclave member who, allied with one of the Elders, now seeks open alliance with Medea; this will upset a lot of apple carts, and Medea herself is listening.

"You came to New York to meet with Kane. I came to meet with Usher, and to set some plans in motion with Fae from both pro- and anti-Medea camps. These we did. At the same time, you seemed extremely taken with Meridon Kane, though I didn't meet her myself this trip; you bought her gifts, arranged a night out at the opera, and showed every sign of wanting to continue a close personal connection with her. It seemed to me a sudden and unexpected infatuation. I wondered about undue influence, but saw no signs of any; yet a couple of days later, at sea far from New York, you fall prey to an unexplainable illness that has left you without any memory of our time in New York or of your meetings there -- and in fact, you seem taken with a young Fae from California, which I hadn't heard about before. I heard nothing of your business with Miss Kane, if there was any, only of your personal dealings. Thus, if there were business arrangements made, contracts signed, or anything of the sort between you and her, none of us now know what they were any more -- and I have to wonder if that is deliberate.

"What do I think of your asking Miss Kane about things? I am torn. It could either be a very good idea or a very ... risky one, depending upon a couple of things. She could be very helpful in recovering what you have lost, or she could be part and party to that loss. You and she may be innocents in an accident, victims of someone else's foul play, or on opposing sides in some scheme; and right now we have no way to know which.

"Now, I can also say that Miss Kane has always seemed forthright to me. She doesn't strike me as the underhanded type and would probably find my intimations insulting; in the past, if she didn't want to say something, she'd simply tell you so, and wasn't party to lies. So I consider the alternative: that your feelings for her were honest and she returned them, and what then? If you went to her not remembering her at all, with whatever you shared between you unrecalled, I imagine she'd find that upsetting. Wouldn't you? In which case you and she would probably be allies in the quest to figure out what had happened to you, and why, and at whose hand. Which might turn your brief return to New York into a long diversion from our mission here and further east. I, selfish fellow that I am, for all the goodwill I hold for you, would prefer to see the bigger schemes set in motion before we turn to more personal concerns.

"So do you see why my response is complex?"

REDLAND

"Hmmmm. Well, I certainly seem to be skilled at botching things up.

"Let's see, there are a number of different elements to what you've said here, and I'm a bit confused on a few things, so let me see if I can get some clarification.

"First off, you mention that Ms. Caine has some sort of 'condition' which may have contributed to a profound unhappiness. Do you know if I knew what it is? Is it any of my business what it is? If so, what is it?

"Also, you mention that she has carved a niche for herself in 'a dangerous society'. Is that the Fae society or something darker?"

He looks like he has more questions, but he forces himself to pause and wait for a response.

CARL

Carl nods once. "You ought to know. I assume you did know, before. Let me summarize briefly, then ask what you need to in order to fill in the blanks, hmm?

"There is an alien organism - we call it the necrogene. It is small, like a bacterium, and behaves very much like a disease, but with properties unlike any Earthly disease. When the necrogene is introduced into an animal or human being, it preys upon the blood and surrounding tissues. The necrogene is treated like any other invader organism by the body, and is usually killed by the body's defenses. However, the organism is necrogenetic, thus the name: those cells that die naturally, rather than being killed, burst open to give forth the next generation of young. The young are mimics; they take the form and function of the cells the parent had been eating.

"As a result, infection by the contagion normally passes in a few days, like any disease; but an infection that is too massive, or one that is repeated too often over an extended period of time, becomes incurable. The disease spreads throughout the body like a cancer, only this cancer gradually replaces the tissues and organs of the body with substitutes made up of the necrogene. When such a person dies, the replacement completes; the result is Fae.

"Miss Caine is incurably infected, and has been for a very long time. Her life is a balancing act between the needs of a normal life and the perceptions and urgings of the Fae condition. That she remains in that condition tells me that she does not want to be Fae. Neither does she want to die.

"Now, I spoke of a dangerous society. I was refering to the society of the Nightfolk -- the vampires, if you will. Before Medea, those who died of the condition became Nightfolk. Distorted copies of the original human hosts, with the hosts' memories but with a fundamentally alien structure beneath -- alien desires, alien emotions and deep hungers and drives, masked by a powerful mimicry both of the mind and body. Over time, the alien "self" grew stronger, until in some cases it was able to discard the human mask entirely -- first in the psyche, then in the body itself. The result were the Elders. A mature form of the alien colony organism, if you will.

"Nightfolk society was harsh and dangerous, controlled by strict codes and swift retribution to those who broke them. Incurables, like Miss Caine, were accepted as second citizens in that society, but usually only that. That she was able to acquire and wield enough debts and obligations to keep herself safe, and to become trusted by so many, says much about her character and strength of will.

"Another thing you must understand is that the Nightfolk, like the Elders, were alien. They were cut off from the Worldsoul and from the community of living things in the world -- a separation that had and has profound consequences, which is probably fodder for another conversation later.

"Medea came along at a time of great change. On the one hand, the rising power of the Ambient was making the world more and more hostile, more poisonsous, to the Nightfolk. The Elders were strong enough to survive it, but the Nightfolk were not; without some fundamental change, they would die. Medea brought that opportunity. She offered a communion to those who would accept it that changed them, bringing them into the Unity and reconnecting them with the world. Those changed Nighfolk -- the reconnected ones -- are what we now call the Fae. They are very different, psychologically and spiritually, from the vampires of old. Fae society is, really a much nicer place than what came before.

"All the Fae that exist today have taken Medea's touch, or were born into the life from another who was already changed. The Enclave folk, like Usher, are not Fae. They exist through the protection of allied Elders.

"Does that help?"

REDLAND

"Hmm. Interesting. Let me see if I have this correct. All of Miss Caine's cells, tissues, and organs have been replaced by the necrogene? Or is it only most, and it's only when she 'dies' that the replacement is complete?

"Is she, then, in a constant state of change? That is, are the 'urgings of the Fae condition' increasing in intensity, or would she have reached some sort of plateau at this point?

"Also, you mention that you can infer that she does not want to be a Fae. This would imply to me that she did not choose her condition and is, thus, likely not one of the 'Medea Fae'. Thus, if she were to 'die', she'd become one of the 'Enclave' types. Furthermore, since the Ambient is hostile to 'Enclave' types, she would soon 'truly' die from exposure. Is that a correct set of inferences?

"On the other hand, since the necrogene replaces itself upon death, Ms. Caine (as well as all of the Fae) are effectively immortal (unless killed). That is to say, they cannot die a natural death from age? Is that true?

"How does this 'Union' work? Or, perhaps more to the point, why would the necrogene not continue to dominate and transform the person from fully human to fully 'Nightfolk' after some time? I assume that whatever Medea did, did not fundamentally effect the pathogen."

CARL

“Good questions!” Carl is pleased. “Of course I simplified things a bit, but you seem to have it pretty well down.

“I left out something of the mechanism, both for brevity and because it involves more of the, ah, mystical bits.

“The necrogene feeds, not on the chemicals and tissues that make up the body, but upon the life force in them.

In a normally healthy (if I may use the term) incurable, one typically sees a plateau; she may stay substantially as

she is for a very long time, aging little if at all, and generally not too susceptible to most ordinary diseases, pos-

sessed of hypersensitive perceptions and other qualities suggestive of the Fae. That plateau, however, is

unstable. A strong shock to the body, such as a fall or auto crash, anything that causes a large amount of damage

to flesh, could literally kill her and cause the cycle to complete, even if it might not kill an ordinary woman. So she

is at once stronger and more resilient than normal, and also more fragile, beyond a critical point which I cannot

identify.

“Nightfolk society depended on this. In order to be successful, the physical and psychological mimicry had to

build up gradually over time. Simply infusing a victim with massive amounts of the necrogene and then killing

him or her, by drinking blood or otherwise, causes a huge die-off, then a swift overwhelming rush of less-

differentiated necrogenetic growth that, at worst, creates a puddle of hungry helpless toxic slime – and at best

transforms the victim into a half-finished ravenous bestial thing with little but strength and appetite. Very nasty.

Siring a descendant amongst the Nightfolk required a lot of time, care, and companionship, maintaining their

companion to the plateau and beyond. Couple that with the fact that the vampire receives a great deal of

benefit from the companion beyond mere sustenance (in effect, the communion with the living grants the

only real connection with the Worldsoul a vampire has, even though it is temporary) and you see that

companionship of this type was very important to the Nightfolk, whether it was voluntary or not.

“As you say, I believe Miss Caine is, was, the victim of assault, and not a willing companion. I haven’t asked, so I

am not certain. She has been around since long before Medea, so your other assumptions are correct – unless,

of course, she has received communion from one of the Fae since that time. I cannot say if she has, or would,

allow such a thing.

“As for why the necrogene doesn’t simply finish the job on its own … well, before Medea, the condition reached

plateau because the necrogene gets more, or better, sustenance from living tissue than from other necrogenes.

As there was less original life in the body, the mimics had less to feed upon. This doesn’t kill them, but it slowed

them down. I don’t know if the plateau is ever absolute, but at some point it seems so, barring accident; and if

some critical system did fail, then you had the classic scenario of a ‘temporary’ death and return as one of the Folk.”

He thinks a moment.

“Prospects of physical death rarely seemed to bother the Folk. They did, however, face another terror. Sooner or

later, the Folk lost their humanity to the urgings of the alien self underneath. This might take anywhere from

decades to centuries, but it did happen to almost all. The older Folk would … fade … go mad I suppose by our lights,

in any of several directions, but the process terrified the younger Folk. Only the strongest of the Folk ever became

Elders. Most killed themselves, or were killed by younger Folk who saw in them what they feared most: a loss of

Self.

“Whether that is true of the Fae, I don’t know. Fae are a new thing, at least in this cycle; they’ve only been

around for about two years, so we have no experience upon which to draw.”

REDLAND

"Two thoughts come to mind, in regards to my memory:

"1) Given that I, apparently, had some sort of connection with Ms. Caine, and given her dangerous and, presumably, uncomfortable condition, I wouldn't be shocked if I tried to 'do something' about it. I'm perfectly willing to bargain with anyone, and if someone (e.g., the Dark Pharaoh) indicated they could help her, my memory problems may be a side-effect (or component of) a deal.

"2) You mention that Ms. Caine was around long before Medea. Does that mean she is considerably older than I am? If so, that seems a bit odd that she would have some sort of romantic interest in me. I would think that I would seem banal and laughable. Perhaps she did have some scheme that involved manipulating me. I have never been a particularly good judge of character."

Jack frowns.

"Anyhow, you mention that the necrogene must take hold gradually over a long period of time, since a quick influx of necrogene would leave the victim a vegetable. Is this only the case if the person 'dies' soon afterward (or even a long time later, but they'd be fine in the meantime)? Or would the inference be that Ms. Caine was somehow repeatedly attacked over a long period of time?"

He frowns again.

"That sounds pretty gruesome...

"Now, you say that the Fae do not seem bothered by the thought of physical death. Is it nearly impossible to kill them or is it more of a type of a philisophic bent? I also wonder if this 'loss of humanity' only occurs to Nightfolk proper or if anyone afflicted with the necrogene is at risk. Hmmm. Have there been any long-term cases of someone being afflicted but not 'dying' that could be used as a reference?"

He pauses.

"Hmmm. I wonder if I'm losing the thread here... perhaps I'll try to circle back in a minute."

CARL

"I'm not sure whether there's a need to circle back, as you say; we have no real agenda. However, I think this is useful to both of us, so circle as you wish.

"I did wonder if you'd negotiated somehow, with someone or something -- but I see no easy way for me to find out. I also wondered if the loss was somehow related to this episode you mentioned where you were assaulted in New York. But since neither you nor I know much about that, there didn't seem much to say about it.

"I'm not the medical expert on these things, though I have read quite a bit of the research documentation. Which is rather gruesome, by the way. I gather that the phage takes a long time to properly settle in, to match itself both physically and ponically to the host's structures, but that the crisis point comes at the time of the host's death. I expect that a huge influx of the phage into an otherwise healthy host might cause damage or even death however. So it's likely that repeated exposures are the most sure way, even if they aren't the only way.

"Miss Caine is older than Medea, yes, but you must recall that Medea herself has only been Fae for a couple of years. Hannelore, as she used to be known, is about my age, maybe younger.

"I used to know a fellow who had been afflicted, badly enough to be incurable, in the 1870s. He lived that way for over forty years, without visibly aging much physically, but mentally, that's another matter. I never asked him if his condition was the result of a single attack or of any -- and I guess I'll never know. He's gone now."

REDLAND

"Now, if this condition has a significant ponic component, would that be something you could affect, as the King of Life? For example, if Ms. Caine were to wish to no longer be infected with the necrogene (which she may or may not want... even pain, if not unbearable, can become an integralpart of who you are), could you remove the virus, or if that would lead to death (given the extent of its infiltration) alter it in some fashion so that she was no longer 'incurable'? Would this be something, er, what's his name, Dr. Parkhurst would know something about or is he more oriented on the biological component?

"You mention that the Enclave (and Elders) are 'alien' and have no connection to the 'Worldsoul'. Are those two things synonymous? Does this mean we would term them Outsiders? Do they have any special connection to the Outside? Can they communicate with the Outside in ways that humans cannot? If we could somehow alter these necrogenes, could that help us in some fashion? When you say that the necrogene effects them mentally, is it sort of like a psychological disorder, a 'brainwashing', or something else entirely?"

Jack stops speaking abruptly.

"Sorry, that's quite a few questions..."

CARL

Carl chuckles, pleased. “I’m glad to have caught your interest! It’s so good to have a new set of eyes on the problem, and you are quick, Jack. Let me see if I can even answer all of these; we’re getting into ground that hasn’t been gone over before.” He smiles, leaning forward slightly and checking things off on his fingers.

“One. Yes and no. As King, I do have some power over just about all Earthly living things – but not because of ponics. My particular demesne is in Vitalics – the Life Force. I talk more about ponics because they’re more readily accessible, and because I’ve done more scientific research on ponics than on vitalics, back before I took up the Kingship. But the King of Life holds vitalics. Ponics belong to the King of Fate.

“That said, had I the time to work on it, I believe I could probably offer Miss Caine a course of treatment that would cure her if she desired it. So could any of the Kings – or more certainly all three acting together. As things are today, it would take me some weeks or months to train up the necessary technique, and there is a small but real chance that I would find myself incapable of helping her in the end. But it *could* be done. Doctor Parkhurst’s aid would probably speed the process.

“Two. It’s not quite fair to say the Nightfolk and the Elders have *no* connection to the Worldsoul, but they are hybrid creatures. We speak of ‘aliens’ and ‘Outsiders’ as if they were the same, but they’re not, always. There are, in the world, things that are not born of our soil, whose structures of energy are distinct from the World’s ambient, who are thus separate from the Worldsoul. Some of these, like the Pharaoh, are truly from beyond our space and time, Outsiders in every sense. Others have come to the earth from other worlds, from space, but they are still from “this” reality – they are more akin to us than the Pharaoh and Its brethren, even though they are not Earthly and do not belong.

“Does this difference matter in the larger scheme? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it is an important one for your question.

“From time to time, things fall from the sky onto our world. Some of them are alive, in a sense. One such sort of life which appears to us as a kind of motile vapor, has infected the world many times in history, and in many places. I won’t go into the whole long tale now – ask later if you like – but the result was that the vapor changes the living things it touches, so that those things breed in new shapes, new colors, new ways.

“We have samples of many things that have been changed by the vapors. Most do not flourish; they are no longer suited for our world; but some of the more primitive forms, bacteria, molds, microorganisms, do survive and even thrive, with strangely different strengths and needs. There is strong evidence that the necrogenetic animalcules that cause the vampiric condition are descended from such an event, or perhaps several such.

“The Nightfolk, then, are alien hybrids, born both of the alien and the earthly. They are not true Outsiders, and they are – or were – incomplete, dependent on their feeding to provide them things that were necessary for them to live in this world. Even the Elders, in which the alien has largely driven out the earthly forms, have something of that lack – though they are able to repair and improve themselves to get by.

“Yet there is more. The Nightfolk, and the Elders, are by dint of their alien natures, a part of something Other, as much as – or perhaps more than – they are a part of our world. That Otherness seems, to us, to be a true Outsider, though it may be merely another Worldsoul from a far-off world. We call that Other the ‘Grandfather’. I don’t know if the Elders have a name for it.

“The Fae are Nightfolk in which the connection to the Grandfather has been replaced by a connection to our Worldsoul. It affects them greatly and fundamentally –not physically but emotionally and spiritually.” Carl pauses. “I wonder if it is possible for an Elder to undergo such a change? Or what the result would be?” He blinks, thoughtful, for a moment. “My my.

“Anyhow, the Elders, one supposes, might be able to communicate with the Grandfather, even if they cannot contact Outsiders as a whole.

“Four. When I say that the infection changes people mentally, I mean two things. One is that the victim gains new sensitivities and acuities that are powerful, unexpected, and in some cases harsh or bewildering, and cannot be turned off or pushed away. The other is that the phage itself, as its presence grows in the body, acquires its own intellect, its own will, and its own strange appetites and desires that are felt by the host, and may be profoundly in conflict with what the host wants or needs. Some people give in to them, others fight them, but all are affected.

“Do you see?”

REDLAND

"Ah. Right. I should have recalled that the King of Life was Vitalics. It just seems odd, since Ponics seems the most dynamic of the 'Forces', which inclines me to think of it as the antithesis of Fate and more in the 'chaotic' realm of Life. It is good to know that a 'cure' is likely possible. Clearly it is of narrow interest, since I don't think most of those who carry the pathogen would be thankful to be 'cured'. Whether it could be turned to other uses, is, perhaps, another story. The longevity (and health) provided by the necrogene could be of obvious benefit if decoupled from the mental intrusion. Anyhow, when I talk to Ms. Caine again (which I clearly need to do at some point), I may broach the subject, with your permission, after feeling her out a bit to determine if it is of relevant interest.

"When you speak of the hybrid nature of the Nightfolk, do I understand you to mean that they were originally human and were infected by (something akin to) this alien vapor (as opposed to 'whole' beings who came to our world from outside)?

"Theoretically, if we wanted to communicate with the Outsiders, we might be able to go through some chain of, say, I talk to a Nightfolk/Elder who speaks to the Grandfather (in some fashion) who then passes on the information to the Outsider we wish to contact? I guess that probably wouldn't work too well, but who knows?

"In regards to the mental change, the first seems primarily physical and, in some sense, terrestrial. The latter issue is more interesting. Presumably, this 'intelligence' is Outside in some way. Er, though it is likely of the variety that is of our universe as opposed to the Dark Pharaoh-type, right?" He continues almost to himself, "Hmmm. Hmmm. Perhaps there is no particular advanatage to be had there..."

He continues.

"Anyhow, now that the Elders are part-and-parcel with the Nightfolk, is it even possible for the existing Nightfolk to go the Medea-route?"

CARL

“A good question. I don’t know the answer. But it is an issue that may come up soon, inasmuch as Roderic Usher intends to court Medea.” Carl raises his eyebrows consideringly. “If there is to be communion between such a couple, it raises all sorts of related questions, doesn’t it?”

He settles back in his chair.

“When I speak of the Nightfolk, I’m talking about the vampires in general, which includes the Fae, the Enclave, and the Elders. They’re all essentially hybrids – originally human, infected by the necrophage which is itself an alien hybrid organism with links to the vapor and the Grandfather. See? I didn’t mention it before, but one quality that the phage and the other descendants of the vapor share is that the individual cells tend to share a group awareness when living in proximity. Thus, in the body, the phage builds a second “self” which mimics the original living self, in much the same way as the cells mimic the host’s tissues and organs. With the death of the host, only the mimic is left. Before that death, the two are in uneasy residence – if the mimicry were perfect, the host might notice only the altered perceptions, but it never is, because the phage-self also has appetites and reactions; it too, in effect, has will.

“You know about the six Principles and their Children, yes? All six Principles are, essentially, mechanisms of hybrid mediation between the Worldsoul and an Outsider which has chosen for whatever reason, to more or less benignly live here. That choice is sometimes an uneasy one, and there are issues of dominance and control; but in each case, both we and they get something out of the alliance. So you see,” he smiles, “I’m not entirely against Outsiders, I simply want to ensure that the local team remains in charge.” He shrugs.

“Now, about ponics and Fate – ponics isn’t really the most dynamic of the forces, it’s just the most accessible. In reality, it’s the most structured. Ponic energy is all about communication. Sharing. It carries information between things that are aware. If you will, think of pons as messengers. In a world dominated entirely by ponics, where all events were known about by everything as the events took place, and the consequence of each thought and action were immediately obvious to all, I imagine the entire world would gravitate into a sort of “perfect form” scenario, where the best outcome for the world at every moment was the only outcome possible. Life that evolved in this environment wouldn’t even *try* to struggle against this approach, because that wouldn’t be optimal. Don’t you think? And how much does this sound to you like the perfect crystalline vision of the Master of Fate, where all outcomes are controlled by a single all-knowing self?

“In contrast, Vitalics – Life – is anti-entropic. Vitalics embody potential – possibility – they’re the power source for change. Chaotic, like you say, but an important complement to that perfect form. From my perspective, the ‘perfect form’ is stagnant; it’s perfect only within its own context, and it has not the viability or flexibility to respond well to anything outside its own control. As one reads in Darwin, overspecialization to a niche is fatal when the niche changes; and Vitalic forces tend to push toward flexibility and generalization.

“Does that make sense?”

REDLAND

"I know you've mentioned that ponics are primarily used for communication, but I thought they also gained intelligence when grouped together in large quantities and could then behave in unpredictable ways. That doesn't sound very 'Fate'-like, or am I missing something essential here?

"With this group awareness of the cells ... is this why I felt, um, 'connected' to the entire community when I had acquired some of the necrogene in Los Angeles? Or is the group awareness only internal and what I experienced was something else entirely? Did it have something to do with all of the people there being 'Medea' Fae?

"Also, it does sound as if the phage is truly a parasitic vector. It seems inevitable that the parasite will convert the once-human eventually into an Elder, though I suppose the 'phage'-self, if intelligent enough could come to some uneasy alliance with the 'true'-self...."

He trails off.

"I had not known that about the Principles. I mean, I knew that the Principle of Compassion had something to do with an Outsider, but I thought that was a special case. So, Ms. Laura has some sort of connection with an Outsider? Will she be okay? Obviously things didn't work out too well with the Lady, should we fear something similar here? Is there anything that I can do to help, like finding the 'Agent of Change' or somesuch?"

He stops suddenly as if just thinking of something.

"Hey, if we know all of these Principles, and they all have a connection with an Outsider, why couldn't we leverage that in some way to facilitate communication? I know that all Outsiders are different and whatnot, but still....

"Er, and whatever happened to the search for the Principles? Did they become unimportant when you switched plans? Or, at least, relatively unimportant, since they're just one more potential 'community' of resistance?"

CARL

Carl starts to answer your early questions, but subsides, waiting for you to finish with a more somber air.

“I have not set aside the Principles, Jack. To me they, and their Children, are very important. What has happened

is that we are no longer following the “One God” plan, as you call it. That plan called for the Principles and their

Children to act as conduits into the Worldsoul, in a coordinated effort to awaken it all at once.

“Since we are not trying to do that any more, the coordination – and thus the simultaneous presence of all

six groups in a single working – is no longer necessary. They are, as you say, still individually important, both

as centers of resistance, and as rallying points for various archetypal aspects of the World’s will. They also

still provide a necessary input and interchange into the Unity, which will benefit the world whether or not it

is unified.

“I had not considered using the Principles as negotiators with the Outside, since the various Outsiders involved

have already “come in”, as it were. It’s an interesting idea.” Carl smiles briefly. “I can’t help think it may be

naive to expect to find any active allies out there, or forces that we can afford to bargain with – but just because

it’s naive doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

“In fact I’ve talked to you before about the fact that the Kings *have* negotiated with the Outsiders in the past,

on a more or less limited scale. They had dedicated negotiators in fact, which meant that they got something

useful out of the deal without losing their sovereignty. I tend to prefer that route – trained human negotiators –

to use of the Principles, who are so useful in other ways; but it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t work.

“Do you want to brainstorm on the negotiation angle, see what you can come up with?” He grins. “I bet it would

suit you. The problem as I see it, of course, is understanding the true motives and value basis of things as

diverse and as unknowable as Outsiders. How do you know what they really want? Are we stuck with the

old mechanisms of put-it-by-the-rock barter exchange, and is that enough?”

REDLAND

"I think that the 'put it by the rock' method is too crude to be used except in the direst of circumstances. That is, if we're actively being wiped out, then grasping at whatever straws we can find is a reasonable course of action, and it would then behoove us to make imprecise, poorly understood deals. Anything short of a 'doomsday' scenario, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with a deal made in this fashion from a 'risk/reward' perspective. It would be both unclear what we had purchased and what we had given up.

"Certainly, I prefer trade, negotiation, alliances, peaceful coexistence, etc. To have much hope at this, though, I would think we'd need a minimum level of understanding between the parties. If we can't get there.... Anyway, to that end, I'd love to find an intermediary who could bridge the gap. Whether the intermediary would need to actively participate in some prospective trade is less important than their ability to help the Outsiders and the Insiders arrive at some level of understanding.

"Given that the Principles are already in contact (in some fashion?) with a 'friendly' Outsider, they strike me as ideal for this purpose. However, if they're inadequate or unavailable, for whatever reason (e.g., Aspiration is too new to understand what's happening or Compassion is hostile), I'd be happy to pursue the Fae/Grandfather angle if there was anything there. If the Brotherhood has any knowledge beyond the rock/barter level, I'd talk to them and see what I could learn. The King of Fate might have some research. I vaguely recall that we may have learned something in Los Angeles pertaining to the situation. The Dark Pharaoh could obviously tell me some things if he desired...

"Certainly trained human negotiators would be optimal. The closer the negotiator is to the principal involved, the better. However, I would think that to be considered 'trained' would require knowledge that we aren't particularly close to having at this time."

Retrieved from "https://wiki.rpg.net/index.php?title=TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote7&oldid=142247"

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-'''CARL'''
-“Not good.”
-Struck by a thought, Carl pulls out a tattered notebook, flips through the pages for a moment, frowning at some haphazard scrawls.
-“I think I need some more detail from Becker.  I’ve been thinking about a particular ley conjunction, the
-hotspot I mentioned before, that’s in Hungary barely north of the Yugoslavian border, southwest of Lake Balaton.”
-He looks up, seeming more concerned now.
-“But there’s another spot which may be the one the Brotherhood is working on.  It’s about three hundred miles
-East and further south, straddling the Danube River on the border between Yugoslavia and Rumania.  This
-one’s no hotspot – it’s a ley pattern about fifty miles across, of a type we already know can easily be turned
-into an open doorway for Outsiders.  If the Brotherhood seeks to create a causeway for the Beast to enter
-our world, they couldn’t ask for a better place to do it!”
-Carl looks from Jack to his notes, his worried look deepening.
-“This is bad, Jack.  Could be very bad.”
-'''REDLAND'''
-"So, how do you deal with something like that? I sort of understand why leylines are important, though I'm not sure if I'm clear on the difference between a 'hotspot' and a 'pattern'. Is a hotspot a point that lies on a leyline (or some convergence of leylines), whereas a pattern is something like a point that is (potentially) miles a way from a leyline, but is surrounded by them in some configuration?
-"Anyhow, that aside, what could be done to disrupt their plans? Can something be done that doesn't require some sort of confrontation with members of the organization? If they did succeed in creating an entry point for the 'Beast', is that necessarily bad? That is to say, could it, somehow, be turned to our advantage?"
-'''CARL'''
-“Well…”  Carl takes a deep breath, “That depends on what the Brotherhood does, on how they intend to do it, and on how careful  they are about it.  I don’t know, for instance, if they’re actively trying to use the pattern; I only know that, given what I’ve learned about these things, if it were me and I wanted to make such an opening, that would be a good place to have it done.
-“But yes, there are things that can be done.  The more we know, the more efficient we can be.  For example:
-“If the Brotherhood were trying to open the way for the Beast using the pattern, and we were able to learn both what they wish to do, and when they wish to do it, then it would be possible for us to hijack the leys, as it were, at the right time to disrupt or change the effect of their ritual.  This works best if it comes as a surprise,” he smiles, “as you can imagine.  Redirecting the leys, or using our own patterns to ‘hijack’ their effect, would likely change the outcome of the Brotherhood’s rite – but that might not be enough.  For example, if they intend a ceremony that involves sacrificing a lot of people, as was done last time I saw this pattern used, such a hijack might change the  outcome but the Brotherhood would have still killed a lot of innocents.  Which is not an acceptable outcome for me.
-“If we found we couldn’t stop them in time, we might be able to botch things so that the Beast, when it arrives, turns on the Brotherhood instead of being useful to them.  That’s not a great outcome for me, but it might remove trouble further in the future.
-“The other alternatives that occur to me right now are either very risky, untried, silly or just plain mad.” He smiles again.  “We might dash in and somehow use the lines ourselves, to open the way for something of our own choosing.  What that might be I don’t know, and I don’t know the cost yet; it depends on what they’ve done.  Or we could disrupt the lines entirely, so that the pattern goes away, temporarily or permanently.  Things like that have a big effect on the world – I can’t predict the outcome, but we might be buying more trouble, I don’t know.   We might bust in and fight the Brotherhood, which makes us avid to their Goliath if they’re at all prepared.  We might try to buy them off, I don’t know how or with what.  We might try fighting their leadership in an attempt to take control of their organization,” he shrugs”, or any other solution you can think of from popular literature.
-“We might even sic the local army on them, or even grab the hotspot, raise up some sort of titan and march it down there ourselves.  If we had a few more months, we could establish the Fae as allies, or any of the other Children, and use them as a lever; but all these things depend on our knowing what’s happening and when the others intend to move.  Which we do not.
-“Hmm.  The only other potentially useful tool that occurs to me right now is that we have you.”  Carl raises his eyebrows placidly.  “I imagine the officers of the Brotherhood would enjoy having a visit from a bona-fide chosen agent of the Dark Pharaoh.”  He spreads his hands wide.
-'''REDLAND'''
-"Ah. Okay. So what they are attempting to do is similar to what the Pentheus people are going to do with their field test. That is, it's more like a, uh ..."
-He pauses for a second.
-"Sorry, I thought I had a good analogy available and then it just slipped away. Er, so, they're not setting up a permanent gateway to the Outside, but are instead 'summoning' up a particular entity? That means, in this instance, to foil their plans, we would just need to interfere with this particular operation.
-"I can't imagine anyone would be particularly interested in this solution, but if one of the main issues is that they are sacrificing a lot of people, one way around this would be to give them Pentheus's technology that allows summoning with minimal (or perhaps no?) sacrifice.
-"As to the efficacy of undertaking a competing effort with the leys, I guess that's outside my area of knowledge. It sounds like a reasonable way to go, though other than disrupting the leylines, it sounds like these types of strategies may only achieve a temporary reprieve. That is, if the pattern still exists, even if we stop them this time, they can just come back later when our attention is occupied elsewhere.
-"Would they want to talk with someone associated with the Dark Pharaoh, though? Isn't he a competing aspect with the 'Beast'? It is my understanding that they have very different goals.
-"Regardless, however, I'd be happy to meet with them. If there is any good way to resolve the problem without conflict, I think we should, at least, consider it."
-'''CARL'''
-“Well, as I said, thus far we don’t know anything about what they’re doing – other than their historical goals, which center generally somewhere between cultish worship of the Beast aspect and personal desire for power and control – and the fact that Mister Becker says they’re active and building power in the region.  Their historical methods didn’t draw overmuch on the leys, so perhaps they’re not looking at these places at all.
-“Perhaps,” he repeats pointedly.
-“As for your thought, to give them the Pentheus machinery,” Carl laughs softly, “isn’t that rather like giving a bomb to a Bakuninist so he won’t throw rocks through your store window?  Not that it’s a bad idea, really; if the focus of the Brotherhood were simply to grab power, I could see helping them in order to defend the region, but I have no confidence that such a move would help us, or the world, by opening the door more easily.”
-Carl thinks for a moment.
-“I don’t have a lot of insight about the Cult of the Beast, or the Cult of the Black Pharaoh.  My understanding, though, is that the various Aspects of, er, that Outsider aren’t in competition any more than your eyes are in competition with your right thumb; they’re just different, and they interact with us differently.   According to the few notes I do have, the two cults recognize this and cooperate.  You could probably ask your patron for more information, though I wouldn’t want to pay much of a price for it.”
-'''REDLAND'''
-"You obviously aren't aware of the extreme animosity between my left eye and my right thumb ...
-"I'd say it's more like leaving your front door unlocked when you know burglars are about ... you're still going to get ripped off, but at least they won't break down your door on the way in. Generally a bad idea, of course, since the value of the stuff in your house is usually worth a lot more than the value of the door, but on the other hand, if the Brotherhood is determined to summon something, finding a bunch of people to sacrifice may be a low cost to them relative to their expected payoff, in which case, why lose the door along with the rest of your stuff? I hadn't taken into account that, as you say, theoretically, the Brotherhood could be a line of defense. All in all, probably a bad idea, but who knows?
-"It does sound like, if at all feasible, we should attempt to talk to them. We just don't know very much about what exactly they're trying to accomplish. For as long as their true motives remain hidden, it is difficult to formulate an optimal strategy in how to deal with them. If you think that the Dark Pharaoh adherents and those of the Beast are allied (or at least friendly), it'd probably make sense for me to make an attempt to meet with them. I'm a fairly nonthreatening sort of fellow, and with my somewhat uncoventional ethical beliefs, I'd probably have an easier time dealing with them than most people you have at your disposal. I am, unfortunately, a bit squeamish, which could pose a problem. I imagine the Brotherhood are comprised of some fairly ruthless, intransigent individuals.
-"If you think it's alright, I'll go ahead and try to ask the Dark Pharaoh about the issue. Heck, he's a friendly fellow, I'd imagine he'd toss me the information for free, especially since it seems like it could benefit him."
 =='''January 12 update'''==

Difference between revisions of "TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote7"

Revision as of 20:04, 14 April 2010

January 12 update

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