- Joined
- Mar 31, 2008
- Messages
- 14,927

The Soviet Union is no more. While I can't tell you the real the reasons behind the fall of that evil empire, I can say with an acceptable level of pride that the private sector's solution to public nuisances (like the communists) were cost-effective, if not under budget.
Unfortunately, I must also say with an acceptable level of pride that I won't live to enjoy the fall for long for you see, I'm redundant. I'm a loose end. Yes, me. I thought I knew too much to kill, but apparently I didn't know enough.
So, my beloved reader, know this. The monolithic global conspiracy that has dictated global affairs for the last eighty years? It doesn't exist, as I learned when my plane went down over the Pacific. My employers are gunning for one another, Illuminated warlords they are now. I might survive because everybody is too busy killing one another to care about little old me.
The rest of this Illuminated.txt is to help you get started. I don't care if you're a would-be Illuminated warlord seeking power for the sake of power or a cult seeking to bring about the end of the world. This starter-kit will help you. For now.
Unfortunately, I must also say with an acceptable level of pride that I won't live to enjoy the fall for long for you see, I'm redundant. I'm a loose end. Yes, me. I thought I knew too much to kill, but apparently I didn't know enough.
So, my beloved reader, know this. The monolithic global conspiracy that has dictated global affairs for the last eighty years? It doesn't exist, as I learned when my plane went down over the Pacific. My employers are gunning for one another, Illuminated warlords they are now. I might survive because everybody is too busy killing one another to care about little old me.
The rest of this Illuminated.txt is to help you get started. I don't care if you're a would-be Illuminated warlord seeking power for the sake of power or a cult seeking to bring about the end of the world. This starter-kit will help you. For now.
-Regina Flowers, First Order of Nosdracha, First Circle, Third Chair
The Illuminated World
A map for crazies, by crazies, but might not be crazy depending on which notion of reality you wish to subscribe to.

A map for crazies, by crazies, but might not be crazy depending on which notion of reality you wish to subscribe to.
I will divide the world into three spheres: The Sleeping Sphere, Illuminated Sphere, and the Shadowy Fringes.
The Sleeping Sphere is inhabited by the billions of people who go about their lives day-in, day-out, unaware of the connections linking the untimely death of a bar owner in Chicago with an explosion that killed hundreds of mine workers in China. I call it the Sleeping Sphere because they exist in a peaceful state of sleep, and hey, people sleep at night.
The Illuminated Sphere is where I live and work, and where you probably work (but maybe not live). The fact that the bar owner was a member of the First Order of Nosdracha, Fifth Circle, First Chair, and that the Chinese mine was owned by a front company for a cabal of Chinese Christian fundamentalists suspected of assassinating him is probably Illuminated knowledge, plain in the Illuminated Sphere.
So what are the Shadowy Fringes? Well, beyond the world of peaceful sleep and waking Illuminated day is the Dawn and Dusk. For example, the fact that the cabal of Christians suspected of being behind the assassination of the bar owner is, itself, led by a member of the Second Order of Nosdracha, is knowledge very few people will have. As a matter of fact, I know for a fact some organizations only exist in the Shadowy Fringes. Some organizations that I believe exist may not really exist, but are figments of an overtly powerful imagination.
Knowledge, my beloved reader, is power. In a few years, the image of a man with a mission connecting faces and organizations on a bulletin board with thumbtacks and string will become the image of the average American conspiracy theorist in the popular media. For good reason.
The Sleeping Sphere is inhabited by the billions of people who go about their lives day-in, day-out, unaware of the connections linking the untimely death of a bar owner in Chicago with an explosion that killed hundreds of mine workers in China. I call it the Sleeping Sphere because they exist in a peaceful state of sleep, and hey, people sleep at night.
The Illuminated Sphere is where I live and work, and where you probably work (but maybe not live). The fact that the bar owner was a member of the First Order of Nosdracha, Fifth Circle, First Chair, and that the Chinese mine was owned by a front company for a cabal of Chinese Christian fundamentalists suspected of assassinating him is probably Illuminated knowledge, plain in the Illuminated Sphere.
So what are the Shadowy Fringes? Well, beyond the world of peaceful sleep and waking Illuminated day is the Dawn and Dusk. For example, the fact that the cabal of Christians suspected of being behind the assassination of the bar owner is, itself, led by a member of the Second Order of Nosdracha, is knowledge very few people will have. As a matter of fact, I know for a fact some organizations only exist in the Shadowy Fringes. Some organizations that I believe exist may not really exist, but are figments of an overtly powerful imagination.
Knowledge, my beloved reader, is power. In a few years, the image of a man with a mission connecting faces and organizations on a bulletin board with thumbtacks and string will become the image of the average American conspiracy theorist in the popular media. For good reason.
Waking Up

Whether you want to or not, you are now waking up from your fruitful sleep. Whether the Illuminated Sphere is worth waking up into is, well, not really my problem. You're reading, you know too much. How did you get a hold of this? By delving too deep.
Anyway,
To join my world, you must sketch out the organizations and notable individuals making up your grand conspiracy. I'm going to give you an example, please forgive me.
The First Order of Nosdracha
Mission Statement: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Details: [REDACTED]
Notable Members: [REDACTED], [REDACTED], Regina Flowers
Simple right? Well, this is just the Order itself. One of the First Order's notable members was a former FBI director.
FBI
Mission Statement: To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States by protecting civil rights, combating transnational/national criminal organizations and enterprises, combating white-collar crime, and combating significant violent crime.
Details: It is the FBI, what more needs to be said?
Notable Members: Director [REDACTED], etc.
So what's the issue? The First Order of Nosdracha won't appear in the "Illuminated Ledger" os organizations, because at the time it existed only on the shadowy fringe. The FBI, on the other hand, will appear on the Illuminated Ledger. Director X will be a known quantity, since he is an influential and active FBI director. What wouldn't be Illuminated knowledge is that Director X is a member of the Order.
Not all our notable members are in key positions like this. For example, we controlled a good number of organizations indirectly. For a while, one prominent political party was under our control because we indirectly influenced several individuals who made well-respected donations to this party and its candidates.
That is what you need to remember. Not all influence is direct.
Anyway,
To join my world, you must sketch out the organizations and notable individuals making up your grand conspiracy. I'm going to give you an example, please forgive me.
The First Order of Nosdracha
Mission Statement: [DATA EXPUNGED]
Details: [REDACTED]
Notable Members: [REDACTED], [REDACTED], Regina Flowers
Simple right? Well, this is just the Order itself. One of the First Order's notable members was a former FBI director.
FBI
Mission Statement: To protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States by protecting civil rights, combating transnational/national criminal organizations and enterprises, combating white-collar crime, and combating significant violent crime.
Details: It is the FBI, what more needs to be said?
Notable Members: Director [REDACTED], etc.
So what's the issue? The First Order of Nosdracha won't appear in the "Illuminated Ledger" os organizations, because at the time it existed only on the shadowy fringe. The FBI, on the other hand, will appear on the Illuminated Ledger. Director X will be a known quantity, since he is an influential and active FBI director. What wouldn't be Illuminated knowledge is that Director X is a member of the Order.
Not all our notable members are in key positions like this. For example, we controlled a good number of organizations indirectly. For a while, one prominent political party was under our control because we indirectly influenced several individuals who made well-respected donations to this party and its candidates.
That is what you need to remember. Not all influence is direct.
Stupid Novice Questions
(Which I'm going to answer anyway, so not that stupid)
(Which I'm going to answer anyway, so not that stupid)
"Hey Reg, can I 'wake up' in the Shadowy Fringes? I'm asking for a reptilian friend."
Spoiler :
Yes! Keep in mind that you can't keep everything secret. The Peach Corporation (you know, those guys who make computers), aren't going to exist in the Shadowy Fringes when every idiot is buying a computer with a half-eaten Peach on it.
I can't babysit you as you build your conspiracy, because I'm dead. I mean, I can (what is death anymore), but I won't.
I can't babysit you as you build your conspiracy, because I'm dead. I mean, I can (what is death anymore), but I won't.
"Hello, Regina. Big fan. I'm from Zurich. Do I need to really focus on the United States?"
Spoiler :
The United States is literally world's last remaining superpower, and unfortunately, reports trickling through the Illuminated Sphere are from this viewpoint. So yeah, my gnome, you might want to focus on the winner here instead of your stupid mountains, tax havens, and Nazi gold.
"Well Regina, love, I've created the Third Order of Nosdracha. What now?"
Spoiler :
What are you, 12?
That's not fair, you're a baby. You're new to this world. Come here, child, and I'll break out the crayons and coloring book so you can color by the numbers for a while until you learn to draw like an adult.
You are a notable member of your own organization! As a matter of fact, you may be the leader. As a matter of fact, you may be an all-powerful leader. In any case, you will issue orders, and the great machinery that is your conspiracy will move to implement your ideas.
For example, when the First Circle voted that a certain bothersome journalist should be dealt with (non-lethally), our resident FBI director directed elements of the FBI to make that journalist's life so interesting he quickly forgot we existed.
In another example, when we voted to start a war in Southeast Asia, well, none of us had that power directly. What we did do was sway public opinion, political opinion, and reality in Southeast Asia that the war exploded.
However, this doesn't make us Gods. As a matter of fact, in the last years of the First Order of Nosdracha, we noticed that the many individuals and organizations within our conspiracy were beginning to operate too independently. Some Illuminated individuals, with access to the wealth and knowledge that comes with being in the Order, begin pursuing goals detrimental to the First Order.
You must remember that you cannot control everything. Don't even bother.
Oh, you're still wondering what you can do?
Ask yourself what you need to do. Figure out what your capabilities are. Go about to accomplishing your goals. If I was a self-help guru, I would have charged you $25 for a book saying that. You're getting this advice for free.
You're welcome.
This world is pretty freeform. This is no rulebook, and you know what? The numbers don't matter that much. Yeah, the Boy Scouts aren't going to have the money and access to acquire military hardware, but you aren't going to be dealing with the budgets. That's for the lower circles.
You're a leader, so lead.
That's not fair, you're a baby. You're new to this world. Come here, child, and I'll break out the crayons and coloring book so you can color by the numbers for a while until you learn to draw like an adult.
You are a notable member of your own organization! As a matter of fact, you may be the leader. As a matter of fact, you may be an all-powerful leader. In any case, you will issue orders, and the great machinery that is your conspiracy will move to implement your ideas.
For example, when the First Circle voted that a certain bothersome journalist should be dealt with (non-lethally), our resident FBI director directed elements of the FBI to make that journalist's life so interesting he quickly forgot we existed.
In another example, when we voted to start a war in Southeast Asia, well, none of us had that power directly. What we did do was sway public opinion, political opinion, and reality in Southeast Asia that the war exploded.
However, this doesn't make us Gods. As a matter of fact, in the last years of the First Order of Nosdracha, we noticed that the many individuals and organizations within our conspiracy were beginning to operate too independently. Some Illuminated individuals, with access to the wealth and knowledge that comes with being in the Order, begin pursuing goals detrimental to the First Order.
You must remember that you cannot control everything. Don't even bother.
Oh, you're still wondering what you can do?
Ask yourself what you need to do. Figure out what your capabilities are. Go about to accomplishing your goals. If I was a self-help guru, I would have charged you $25 for a book saying that. You're getting this advice for free.
You're welcome.
This world is pretty freeform. This is no rulebook, and you know what? The numbers don't matter that much. Yeah, the Boy Scouts aren't going to have the money and access to acquire military hardware, but you aren't going to be dealing with the budgets. That's for the lower circles.
You're a leader, so lead.
"Are you always going to answer questions in-character?"
Spoiler :
What are you talking about "in-character"? I don't know what plane of existence you reside on, but on this plane, we're always "in character". Most of us may be two-faced, but both of those faces are part of our character.
Idiot.
Idiot.
"I'm a Cabal of Jewish/Armenian/Jewkurd Bankers."
Spoiler :
No you're not.
"What are the rules for this public forum exactly?"
Spoiler :
I don't know what this is referencing, but a voice in my head is telling me to write this.
Everything posted in this thread is Illuminated. If you want to send a message indirectly to somebody, send a private prayer to the God of Dice [no relation] with your message and everything will move ahead from there. In year, there will be a post explaining everything that happened in the last year. I mean, not everything. You know what I mean, right?
Right. Right.
Everything posted in this thread is Illuminated. If you want to send a message indirectly to somebody, send a private prayer to the God of Dice [no relation] with your message and everything will move ahead from there. In year, there will be a post explaining everything that happened in the last year. I mean, not everything. You know what I mean, right?
Right. Right.
"So orders are sent to-?"
Spoiler :
The God of Dice (PBUH, yes.
THE TIME FOR QUESTIONS ARE OVER.
THIS IS THE TIME FOR ANSWERS.
YOUR ANSWERS.
(UPDATES ON WEEKS WHEN SHADOWFALL DOESN'T.)
THIS IS THE TIME FOR ANSWERS.
YOUR ANSWERS.
(UPDATES ON WEEKS WHEN SHADOWFALL DOESN'T.)
Spoiler :
This original post is really uninformative Sonereal. It is like you're being intentionally obtuse here. Aren't you already running a game? Are there really no numbers, or is this just a ruse and you're secretly running a workbook in the background?
What is going on Sonereal? What is really going on?
It is almost as if you wrote this original post in such a way to weed out [DATA EXPUNGED AND REDACTED. NO BODIES DISCOVERED.]
What is going on Sonereal? What is really going on?
It is almost as if you wrote this original post in such a way to weed out [DATA EXPUNGED AND REDACTED. NO BODIES DISCOVERED.]