From: datawolf Newsgroups: alt.games.whitewolf Subject: Re: Euthanatos was Re: Dirty Secrets of the Black Hand Date: 30 Aug 1995 17:16:44 GMT Organization: Inconnu NNTP-Posting-Host: dtw-3.rust.net Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 1.1PE (Windows; I; 16bit) Torsten Beck wrote: >I don't think it's a stupid choice to vote for Euthanatos. These people >at least KNOW what they have to do to make the world a better place... >AND they do mix very well with Vampires (if the Kindred aren't too afraid >of yourself, as it happened to me...) The Euthanatos definately can be a challenge to play. They're also probably the least developed of the Traditions (which is why I'm just itching to get my mits on their Trad book, though I've also heard that they're going to be elaborating a little in Mage 2nd.) I currently work under my own impression of that the beliefs of the Euthanatos are, which might very well be a lot more enlightened than they're actually supposed to be (though, to be sure, most Euthanatos in my games understand the following either partially or imperfectly.. it's rather complicated.) The question really is, why do Euthanatos kill people? They certainly don't do this gratuitously (usually) and it's been noted that they consult each other frequently about this. More directly to the point, what are the criteria they follow when choosing to administer the Good Death? It's my opinion that the more enlightened Euthanatos rely heavily on Time magicks, or consult those among their peers who are skilled in this Sphere, when making these decisions. The Euthanatos have a Rote (which I will detail at the end of this message) which help them to determine the destiny (not necessarily the Background Trait) of the individual, both Earthly and spiritual. Does the individual have anything important left to accomplish? Will his life, if continued, benefit humanity or hinder it? Are their any signifigant roles left for this "actor" to play on the "stage" of the world? More importantly, will this person come closer to his own personal Ascension if he continues to lead his life, or will he stray farther from it? Is his "well of life" empty yet? Also, what will happen to the soul of this person after death? Is he doomed to the Shadowlands? Will he Transccend, or sink into Oblivion? Choosing a recipient for the Good Death shouldn't be a casual or easy thing. Some cases are easy to determine, such as a the terminally ill or utterly evil. In most cases, a brief glimpse into the future of the person will give an answer. It should also be a patient thing. The question of "when" should be just as important as "if." Perhaps a terminally ill person will accomplish something signifigant even from his deathbed. In these cases, one must wait until the correct time comes. Perhaps even a serial killer might be destined to perform some action which raises public awareness of a signifigant problem, though this may not be his intent. This "formula" can also work in bizzare ways occasionally. It might occur that a Euthanatos will run across a suicidal person who is NOT ready to die, who would go on to perform some important act or achieve some great accomplishment. Though it might seem ironic, it does make an eerie sort of sense that a Euthanatos might be found talking some poor kid down from a ledge. The Euthanatos also believe in cycles of life and death. It should be of major importance that a Euthanatos not kill another who is destined to be caught in between, or even perhaps aid those who are doomed to die.. in such a way that they will not be stranded in the Shadowlands when it happens. If a person has achieved all he is destined to accomplish, and will not benefit from living further.. it should be seen as equally important that those who are ready to Transcend upon death be sent on their way. The Euthanatos I've played have all used this Rote, or consulted others of their Tradition who know it if they havn't yet achieved the skill. Judge for yourself wether or not it seems appropriate. Delving the Well of Life (Time 2, Spirit 1, Entropy 1, Life 1, Correspondance 2) The Rote allows the user to look deeply into the destiny of the subject. Though there are personal variations, the usual model is to view the lifespan as a strand, containing moments of the individuals past and future history. Time, Life, and Correspondance are used to formulate the "strand" which represents the person, while Entropy is used to determine the level of Entropy which the present and remaining lifespan will incur on whole of reality. Those with important things to do and accomplish which will further benefit the world have brilliant, distinct threads. When the life has run its course, and the level of Entropy begins to increase, they become dim and indistinct. Finally, Spirit is used to determine what the state of the soul would be if Life were to be terminated. Those who would Transcend end their strands in a brilliant flash.. those who are destined for Oblivion vanish with no trace. When a person is destined to do neither, it blurs away but does not vanish entirely. Other variations on this Rote use different means of symbolism, often culturally based. This Rote does not function on Kindred, but there are variants which would accomplish the same effect. The final question which is inevitably asked is.. why are the Euthanatos still misunderstood? If they were but to explain these things to other Mages, shouldn't they understand? The answer seems to be that some do, but many don't. Life and death are "hot topics" and are viewed very differently by different people.. and they're highly emotional subjects when taken in this context. Euthanatos must learn to be coldly rational about it (when making the important decisions anyhow) but most other Mages have neither the opportunity or need to learn this trait. Though they might try to explain the reasons behind their actions, most others are blinded to the truth of the matter by their own emotions and irrationalities when confronting the topic. While some few Euthanatos persist in trying to be understood, most wearily give up and cease to be overly concerned by the moral judgements of their associates. Obviously, none of this adds to their popularity (and obviously doesn't help their image any,) but popularity really isn't part of the business they're in. mailto:datawolf@rust.net