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Cabals & Amalgams

AITI

The Technocracy Amalgam known as AITI (Acquisitions, Investigations and Treatment of the Insane) combines three separate teams into a single group dedicated to eradicating madness among both Sleepers and willworkers. Each group operates independently, under the leadership of a triumvirate composed of the heads of each chapter.

The Acquisitions branch is in charge of collecting both Marauders and mentally disturbed Sleepers. The various Conventions have developed numerous techniques and technologies to capture and contain Marauders, while more mundane kidnappings from mental institutes, asylums and streets are used to gather insane Sleepers. Acquisitions are acknowledged as the most dangerous branch of the three to serve in and the most visible, but the other branches share their own dangers in trying to study and treat those who have been collected.

Investigations are responsible for getting data. They are responsible for laying the ground work and developing a base of information for the Treatment branch, and (to some extent) are responsible for any success experienced by the that branch. They are also seen as sharing responsibility for any failures. The final basis for judgment of the Investigations branch is the amount and quality of information that they can gather.

The final portion of the Amalgam is the Treatment branch, they are responsible for finding and implementing methods of curing mental disorders. This branch is almost exclusively manned by Progenitors and New World Order, but occasionally Iteration X will be approved to test some new device (Electro-Convulsive Therapy was created by Iteration X and sent to the Masses via the Treatment branch). This branch prides itself on its ability to even restore the most unbalanced individuals to some state of normal mental functioning. The members of this group are also responsible for spreading effective procedures among the Masses and reworking the paradigm to allow for successful treatment of mental disorders.

Currently the Amalgam is quite large, consisting of the three branches. The Acquisitions branch is composed of 2 agents of the New World Order, 2 Progenitors and 2 Iteration X members, with an occasional representative of the Syndicate or Void Engineer. Investigations is almost exclusively New World Order, with 7 full fledged technomancers of the Convention and their 10 Consors. Also present are 2 members of the Syndicate, used to track mundane features of Marauders' lives. The Treatment branch is the most expansive, with 8 New World Order members, 7 Progenitors and 3 Technocracy members (responsible for improved technology as opposed to psychological knowledge or chemical expertise). Also present in the Treatment group are 20 Acolytes who are responsible for spreading the working procedures amongst the Masses, redefining the static paradigm in the process.

The High Programmers

Next to nothing is known about this Amalgam of Iteration X mages (and, some whisper, Virtual Adepts). They are known as the masters and lords of the Convention, serving it and the Technocracy in that order. In the very heart of Autochthonia they determine the route that will lead to Ascension, while a dark force pulls their strings.

Unknown to even the heads of the rest of the Technocracy is that the leaders of Iteration X are Marauders — Marauders of a most peculiar sort. The High Programmers were once very gifted and talented Masters within Iteration X who were brought before the Computer and changed to better suit its goals. Their minds were shattered as the Computer sought to dominate and control their very souls. However, unlike most Marauders, the High Programmers seem to serve the cause of the Weaver (in the form of the Computer itself).

Whenever a member of Iteration X requests an AI, a pattern spider, holistic immersion in the Digital Web, or a Talisman to allow access to Autocthonia, the High Programmers make it so (with the Computer's approval, of course). As the Digital Web grows, so too does the power of the Computer, and with that comes an increase among the numbers of High Programmers. Already, Virtual Adepts are being "improved" by the Computer to better serve its desires.

The Computer hopes, someday, to convert all members of Iteration X into High Programmers under its control. With their united strength, the Computer then plans to absorb the Virtual Adepts and finally take control of the Digital Web (and thus, be able to control its own destiny, instead of being enslaved by others). Already the technomancers of Iteration X look on the Computer with awe. The power of Iteration X grows in the Digital Web daily.

Mad Boys

This cabal of Virtual Adepts (joking named the "Mad Boys" by their fellow Adepts) desires knowledge and information of an unusual sort. They want to know all their is about Marauders. The Mad Boys believe that before Ascension can happen (both on personal and world-wide scales), the nature of madness must be understood. Why do seemingly normal people go insane at random? Does the alteration to their world views and perceptions lead to greater wisdom (as many among the Traditions suspect) or does it remove any such wisdom the person once had?

In order to gather their information, the Mad Boys use any method possible. A pair of Mad Boys have infiltrated the New World Order, stealing much of the knowledge gained from AITI. Others have infiltrated the very halls of Doissetep, secretly copying the information gathered by Hermetics over the centuries. Even the Ahl-i-Batin have found the records of their ancient wars with the Djinn copied by these raiders (leading to increased distrust for Virtual Adepts). As if that wasn't enough, not only have the Mad Boys been considering raiding Nephandi libraries (sure to lead to complications), but already they are planning a series of infiltrations of a Marauder group, using a more controlled and limited version of Perceptual Overload.

Currently, the Mad Boys have the most comprehensive amount of information of any group researching Marauders. Their data banks have lore dating back to the ancient Egyptian empire and from all across the world. However, while vastly comprehensive, the Mad Boys still have less information than the New World Order, and their many raids and spies have made them targets for retaliation (and their collected knowledge is also becoming known).

Cult of Excratakali, the Blessed Release

This dark and twisted cult traces its origins back to the 1970's, when a Hermetic barabbi offered to bond his soul with that of a minor demon. However, both parties, in their haste to assure a dominant position after the merger, corrupted the ritual enough that while the demon's essence was absorbed by the mage, the mage's mind was completely shredded.

Currently, the mage believes himself to be Excratakali, the Mother of the Blessed Release. He... er... She has gathered a loyal following of derelicts and Satanic wanna-be's, intrigued by her promises of security and power. The cult currently numbers 3 Consors (the "chosen") and 11 Acolytes (the "blessed flock" of Excratakali), all under the leadership of Excratakali herself. The cult is hidden in the countryside of Eastern Oklahoma. Already their activities have attracted the attention of local authorities and certain Nephandi.

The cult currently uses a variety of Hermetic rituals, totally inaccurate Hindu mantras, backwards playing of heavy metal, coprophilic sacraments, group desecrations of kidnapped children and anything else Excratakali demands, as their means of worship. Their activities have attracted a few Banes, who have merged with some members (the "chosen"), and the cult hopes to soon forcibly recruit new members.

Lords of the Flux

This extremely arrogant (even by mage standards) cabal of Hermetic mages has dedicated itself to mastering and controlling the energies of the Flux Realm (see Umbra: the Velvet Shadow). While none of the mages have been untouched by the Flux (all display one or more bizarre physical or mental aberrations), they have made enormous steps in the harnessing of the realm's energies

They have seen the expansion of the Technocracy into controlling Gaia and separating the Umbra, they have seen the growing presence of Nephandi and Fomori as Gaia becomes further weakened and they have seen a cure. They will open the Flux realm onto Gaia, cleansing it of all. It is their belief that eventually the Weaver (or some even greater power) will rebuild and restructure the chaos, and the cycle will start again. Even though they are willing to martyr themselves for their cause, the control and power needed are most likely unattainable. As they slide deeper into understanding of (and merging with) the Flux, this may someday change.

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