Date: Wed, 12 Oct 1994 10:28:09 -0400 (EDT) From: Doug Linder To: mage-l@wizards.com Cc: Chris Kobar Subject: Re: Chamber of Thorns Message-ID: Anders Sandberg writes: > Forgot to add to my previous posting: A nasty possibly is that the > Chamber actually works for the Technocracy. If one starts to think of it, > democracy is a technocracy invention. It gives power to the group which > controls the most sleepers, and makes it impossible to take control over a > nation by controlling the king. So the Euthanatos group might quite > possibly unwittingly serve the Technocracy, eliminating everybody who > tries to bring it down (like those extreme right-wingers the Traditions > support). Well, as a member of the Chamber (albeit a junior member), I can say that I highly doubt this is the case. While it's true I'm not privy to everything that goes on at the higest levels, I can say that the technocracy definitely does *not* like us (at least, they don't like ME at all...damn HIT marksgrumblegrumble). Judging from what I was taught in my training, and the kind of Balancings (which some call "The Good Death") I have been assigned, I can say that our purposes are diametrically opposed to those of the technocracy. In order that we not be misunderstood, I have been given permission to provide our fellow Awakened with some minimal information concerning "where we're coming from," for your edification. What follows must be kept in strictest confidence among the Brotherhood of Mages. We of the Chamber see the universe not so much as a "wheel", as some have surmised (and perhaps other Euthanatos do), but as a Great Scale, one which must be kept in balance. The technocracy wishes to stifle creativity and impose static reality, which would send the Scale crashing down on one side. By the same token, those who wish to demolish any and all systems and bring about anarchy and the age of Legend, are equally bad. The Nephandi would bring the scale crashing down on the other side. Without balance, there is nothing. There must be equal amounts of creation and life on one side of the Scale, death and destruction on the other side. The status quo, while definitely unacceptable, is nevertheless preferable to whatever kind of existence the forces of either side might bring, were they to be successful. Currently the scale is badly off-center. Though the Nephandi make occaisional gains, the Technocracy is winning. The Nephandi sometimes make spectacular gains which temporarily dip the Scale more to their side, but the slow, steady, plodding grind of the Technocracy is relentless and methodical. It has an organization and purpose that the Marauders could never match, and adds weight to their side of the Scale bit by bit, day by day, every day. So those of us who can see the truth of the matter watch as the Scale moves more and more to one side. While we of the Chamber do not seek anarchy, neither do we seek stasis. Left on it's own, the Scale will come to balance naturally. Organizations such as the Technocracy seek to artifically affect the Balance, and must be stopped, but a direct war is not the answer. Though skirmishes occur and even occaisional battles with both Technocracy and Marauder forces, the most effective way to maintain the balance is through the education and enlightenment of humans. Our current system of life and death acts as a "filter" for souls as they move through their cosmic cycle. Those souls who have not learned anything on this incarnation are be sent to oblivion (on the "death and destruction" side of the Scale) and reprocessed for another - hopefully more successful - attempt. Their soul will retain some small inkling of the Tempest in order to provide incetive for more effort on the next trip. Those who have achieved some degree of enlightenment during the current incarnation will move along towards the other side of the Scale, and be even further along towards Transcendence the next time. At some point, they will have achieved enough enlightenment among all their past existences to actually rid themselves of their Caul and become aware of these very facts during their lives. This is know as "The Reaping" (what some call "Awakening.") That is why it is the duty of all the Awakened humans (not half-living bloodsuckers or mere semi-humans) to assist The Blind so that someday they may undergo The Reaping as well. A Mage is nothing more than a highly enlightened soul, near transcendence. So near, that it might even be possible to achieve during the current incarnation. This makes our original purpose more important than ever. We of the Chamber of Thorns believe in transcendence for all humans (at which point - - when they have all achieved trasncendence - the Universe will fold up, collapse, and start again). But why do we do what we do? Perhaps one of our revered works will explain it better than I. The Litany of the Chamber: - --------------------------- All humans must eventually transcend. Ascention can only be achieved through Enlightenment. Enlightenment can only be achieved through free thought. Tyranny precludes free thought. Democracy precludes tyranny. Therefore, democracy must be protected. The Father of democracy is the United States of America. Therefore, the United States must be protected. The greatest threat is those who would corrupt the system from within. Therefore, the corruptors must be stopped. Democracy and Freedom must be protected fairly and firmly. Those who subvert democracy disturb the Scale. Those who abuse the system disturb the Scale. Those who benefit from the misfortune of others disturb the scale. Things which disturb the Scale impede enlightenment. Therefore, those things are subject to Balancing. The Law helps maintain the Balance. Those who follow the letter and not the spirit of the Law sway the Balance. Those who scoff at the Law sway the Balance. Those who use the Law for their own gain sway the Balance. Things which sway the Balance impede enlightenment. Therefore, those things are subject to Balancing. - ---------------------------------- We help the scale by removing artifical weights from either side, allowing it to swing freely. Just like the symbol of our country, sometimes we use a sword, and sometimes am olive branch - though lately the sword has become more and more necessary. A typical candidate for Balancing? Con men. Those who prey on the weak and elderly. Phone fraud scam artists. Those who escape just punishment through loopholes in the law. Those who prey on the Enforcers of the Law. And most of all, those who systematically take away the freedoms of their fellow citizens. The normal Enforcers of the law take care of most transgressions. But there are always loopholes. No written law is perfect. If it is misunderstood or misinterpreted, sometimes the guilty go free and justice is not served. The Founders knew this from the beginning, and that is why they formed the Chamber: to take cvare of the loose ends. The special cases which slipped through the inevitable cracks. The secret documents of our organization, written at the same time and by the same people who wrote the public Founding Doucuments, prove this. The Technocracy has subverted the Law in the our country. Their "law" is a mockery of the True Law established by the country's founders. They use the Law for their own ends rather than to Promote the General Welfare. Many of us are Judges, or current/former Enforcers of the "law." Now we are all Enforcers of The Law. - ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Doug Linder Beware the man of one book. faust@access.digex.net Proud to be an atheist. - -------- It's not illegal to be a straight, white male...yet. --------