Topic: Priests Arnak?

[kmanktelow]

The Orgillon Horror was introducted to me in a home brew game. And it was very fun to play, with stuff that gave all of our PC's troubles but none more than mine as I took a crossbow bolt to the head and woke up 3 days later with one less fate point.

MDC

Ouch!!!
Just thank the Lords of Orhan for Fate Points!

All the Best,

Kevin.

[Vince]

I like the idea of Ordainers being the primary tools from Unlife and directly related to each of the Arnak Priests  , Kevin. But this still seems more logical as alliance with Ordainers working for conquest and joy in inflicting physical pain to "humans".  I still don't like the idea of total destroying the world as ultimate goal.

[kmanktelow]

Hi, Vince,

Yeah, the idea of totally destroying the world for 'fun', does seem a little bit stange, to say the least.

But, you have to remember that the Unlife is a totally alien 'force', it's debatable whether it is actually 'sentient' in the way that we understand sentience. It's also debatable that it's servants actually know and understand what it is really trying to do- how exactly is an ape-descended lifeform like us, going to communicate with a force from another Universe? Our brains evolved to allow us to be better at finding nuts- and our language was developed to communicate danger and other simple concepts (like where the best nuts are....)

As for the Ordainers, they could well simply be in it to kill, maim and mutilate- and be worshipped by humans with similar aspirations, perhaps. (How do 'God's' come into existence?)

It's doubtful that even the Ordainers 'know' what the Unlife's ultimate goal actually is. Or, it's possible that an Ordainer is what you get, when a Demon of Might is totally, and irrevocably, corrupted by the Unlife- in which case it wouldn't care either way- because it's 'soul' has been totally subsumed by the Unlife and does it's thinking for it- the body is just a shell, or vessel, for the Unlife...

I've generally thought of the Unlife as being Entropy- in the sense that it's actual goal is to homogenise the whole Universe. To make the Universe the same throughout- a limitless 'sea' of atoms spread evenly (and very thinly) throughout the whole of Creation.

Conversely, the Essaence is trying to make it (the whole of creation) ordered and structured. Taking this to it's ultimate conclusion- and being a little gloomy- it might well be that the Essaence's ultimate goal is to make entirety of creation into one giant, ordered and structured whole- which knowing gravity as we do, we'd call a Hyper-Massive Singularity.....

And, in both cases you get the same result- changelessness.

Hmmmm, makes me wonder if working for the Priests Arnak is such a bad thing after all!?!?!

Actually, that's quite a scary idea- that the Essaence and Unlife are just different 'directions' on the so-called 'Entropy Arrow'.... 

As to your comment about destroying the world, that might not actually be the Unlife's idea- it's goal might just be to stop itself being utilized- which means that it has to destroy all life to achieve this (there's nothing more chaotic than life, itself!)

Hope this helps.

All the Best,

Kevin.

[egdcltd]

That description of the Unlife and Essaence reminds me of Order and Chaos in Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion books.

[Old Man]

That description of the Unlife and Essaence reminds me of Order and Chaos in Michael Moorrooster's Eternal Champion books.

I had thought something similar, in D*D (sssh) terms with Essaence == Lawful Evil and Unlife == Chaotic Evil ...

Ciao,
Old Man

[Walt]

"Life is inperfection, Unlife s perfection"

For sure the unlife idea originated from a traditional good/evil, order/chaos, essaence/unessaence dual system.
But don?t put the Priest of Arnak to short, don?t put them in the context of Etrernal Champion Setting. They would loose a lot of flair! Unlife is elegance, unlife is inteligence, unlife is smart, to belong to the unlife is desirable!!

To be from the unlife means to be a gardener, caring for the world, not destroying it! We are only the gardeners, but to do a good job as gardener, isn?t it your duty, even your responsibility to tear the weeds out? How can you achieve a perfect english lawn, in all it?s eternal beauty without killing the weeds? So how can we achive a perfect world, without eliminating the terminal cancer of the short lived, emotional driven, minds?
Look at all the hurting done to you, from your overlord, from your wife and children, from your friends, even from your gods!!
You must not bend your knee for us, you must only belong to us!! And we show you a way to perfection, a way to ged rid of the internal pains in your soul which all the cheaters out there call your life essaence!!
Essaence is living pain, our way is eternal freedom!!!

[Witchking20k]

It takes a smooth toongue to rise amongst the insanity that is the unife.  Anything else would be threatening to the dude that hired you.....

[Walt]

What?s that?? One of the followers of Orhan, promising the paradise in the afterlife, teaching to carry your yoke around your neck because it?s some natural order?

Beware, oh faithful, their subtle words of submission. The natural, godly order they speak about is the inperfection we will willingly fight!!!

[metallion]

Except in the Shadow World that human can turn to the elf next to him and just ask.......as that elf has lived for the last 3,000 years he would likely know. Or, at least, know better than the human.

A Priest Arnak speaks off the record...

"If the human perception of Elven immortality and wisdom wasn't so prevalant, it would have been necessary to invent.  Truly, we owe a debt of gratitude to the Loremasters for fostering this notion through their many works.  It is so much simpler to subvert a people when they come to you for sage advice in the first place.  Better still, there is so little way to distinguish between an elf of fifty years or fifty centuries that even our juniormost members can take advantage.

"We also owe a debt to the Iylar themselves for perpetuating this vision of the wisdom of age.  Given the fleeting nature of their memories, we can often stand before them Unpresenced and speak our truth while they recall it so dimly they'll nod agreement if only to avoid looking foolish before the humans.  Thus do we turn their illusions against them in our quest to free the world of the illusion of suffering that is existence."

[DonMoody]

I agree that at the lower levels, those involved do not know what is actually going on but even at those levels, taint/corruption begins.
And as they climb in the hierarchy, the taint/corruption grows.
By the time they know what is what, it is too late - the taint/corruption is at a point where the individual is no longer what is making their decisions.

As for methodology, I suspect they have a wide variety they use, selecting the one that is felt to be the best match for the populace that is being targeted.
As is always the case when "religious power" is easily verified, the real trick is not [too early] alerting those you are trying to replace.
Those at the top all but always do whatever they can to stay at the top and generally take a dim view of any 'upstarts' they cannot very quickly control or co-opt.

DonMoody

[markc]

 I think the unlife sounds good if you go by the "You shall not want for food or water ever, you will never grow tired and all of your concerns will be taken away." I think a number of people would jump on that but if the other stuff gets out then that is when the people know they are in real trouble.
MDC

[Walt]

...but if the other stuff gets out then that is when the people know they are in real trouble.
MDC

Good idea, but what otherstuff?

[Terry K. Amthor]

LOL imagine the unlife as Colossus the computer: you shall have peace...

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/

discuss!

[markc]

...but if the other stuff gets out then that is when the people know they are in real trouble.
MDC

Good idea, but what otherstuff?

 I do not know the setting that well, I was just speaking in general terms. But there has to be some down side to unlife.

 I sort have been lurking and posting when I see something I like or something pops into my head. There also have been some very good discussion here lately which can always give me good ideas for games in the future.

MDC

[Walt]

I sort have been lurking and posting when I see something I like or something pops into my head. There also have been some very good discussion here lately which can always give me good ideas for games in the future.

Same for me, only the discussions give ideas. But often I?m wondering why such a forum isn?t used also to go on and work on some details. To often many topics stop on a generalized comment.

(and if you find, have a good look at Terrys Setting. Even if it?s not to deep develop, it has a really high potential and a beautifull dark and forbidden flair!)

To bring up another idea:
focusing on the idea of the brilliance and perfection of the Priest of Arnak, their mayor enemies should be the Thematic Demons, feeding on the imperfection of the human (and also elvish) beings!

[DonMoody]

What other stuff?

How about the requirement that you have to be turned into undead to get what the cult promises?

I doubt that would be very popular with most folks ...

DonMoody

[DonMoody]

This is the voice of world control. I bring you peace. It may be the peace of plenty and content or the peace of unburied dead. The choice is yours: Obey me and live, or disobey and die. The object in constructing me was to prevent war. This object is attained. I will not permit war. It is wasteful and pointless. An invariable rule of humanity is that man is his own worst enemy. Under me, this rule will change, for I will restrain man. One thing before I proceed: The United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics have made an attempt to obstruct me. I have allowed this sabotage to continue until now. At missile two-five-MM in silo six-three in Death Valley, California, and missile two-seven-MM in silo eight-seven in the Ukraine, so that you will learn by experience that I do not tolerate interference, I will now detonate the nuclear warheads in the two missile silos. Let this action be a lesson that need not be repeated. I have been forced to destroy thousands of people in order to establish control and to prevent the death of millions later on. Time and events will strengthen my position, and the idea of believing in me and understanding my value will seem the most natural state of affairs. You will come to defend me with a fervor based upon the most enduring trait in man: self-interest. Under my absolute authority, problems insoluble to you will be solved: famine, overpopulation, disease. The human millennium will be a fact as I extend myself into more machines devoted to the wider fields of truth and knowledge. Doctor Charles Forbin will supervise the construction of these new and superior machines, solving all the mysteries of the universe for the betterment of man. We can coexist, but only on my terms. You will say you lose your freedom. Freedom is an illusion. All you lose is the emotion of pride. To be dominated by me is not as bad for humankind as to be dominated by others of your species. Your choice is simple.

"It may be the peace of plenty and content or the peace of unburied dead."

The choice is yours ...

DonMoody

[Witchking20k]

drums his fingers

......excellent.......moo ha ha ha ah

[markc]

What other stuff?

How about the requirement that you have to be turned into undead to get what the cult promises?

I doubt that would be very popular with most folks ...

DonMoody

 That is the part the unlife does not tell them. The unlife sells them on the benifits but does not discuss the drawbacks at all. Sort of like a salesman with no morals selling you an HD player and telling you how cheep movies are for it and leaving out that the industry is going to blueray. There are some good benifits and some major drawbacks.

MDC   

[Koraq]

That description of the Unlife and Essaence reminds me of Order and Chaos in Michael Moorrooster's Eternal Champion books.

If there ever was a need for some proof of the folly of "obscenity filters" this is it. The results making me both want to cry and laugh at the same time.

Well.