unforum

[MauroKing]

I have just sent James the photos from the guy in Madrid.
Let's hope that he answers me with something useful...

[danteIL]

[jasper]

[ariock]

[AUZ505]

I am also completly confused and here are my two cents:

I think there are differnet IG parts of such an game.
First: "real" IG characters - which mean Ariadne, Eli, James, .... which are problably paid actors.
Second: something like "La Sekto" - which is made by players but still somehow IG.

The first ones act like the PMs want them to act, the second one are not directly controlled. So it was from my point of view very important to share the information about "La Sekto" on this board and discuss it OOG to allow ALL players to understand what is going on - even though La Sekto was from an IG perspective a "secret mission".

Now if "couberteam" is a "real" IG group I can understand a little bit the secret keeping. But if it is like "La Sekto" - and I assume it is - it is important to share information here and I guess the PMs have the same opinion, if they say "share the secret".

[Tenchizard]

Ok, it's Friday so NOW I can spill the beans...

First of all, sorry if you didn't like how the couberteam acted. But we had to keep it secret. Now, for the story of the couberteam...

It all began when Javier, MAC and Monica had an Idea to discover if the girl going to clean her aunt's house was a Theo Spy. In short, she was. When she was confronted about it, she decided to help us instead. That's when the postcards appeared.
So, some of us mailed to Monica asking about them. The only requisite to let Monica tell us about these postcards was having been in contact with any of the six and being loyal to them. Soon, we were 4-5 more, and did two groups: one IG with Diego and Monica, and one OOG so we could discuss some meta about what we were doing. And here is the plan we had:

The postcards are totally fake, just a bait so Theo would be interested in Monica. We wrote some texts in the postcards about a powerful desynchronizing ritual, and then worked on creating the ritual. If we decided to remain secret even here was to be sure nothing was spilled to Theo, even inadvertedly. Please, don't start saying now how our lack of trust is bad... It has happened before, everyone knows it. We just decided to remain silent until the thing was done.

So, the next step of the plan was to give the fake documents to Miriam, so she could give them to Theo. And then came another idea. The idea of a ninja spying them and taking pics of the Theo agent. That's where I come into the game: First I had to make what we called the "artifake", writing the ritual as it would have been sent by an spanish scholar to Jorge in their time. I got some really old paper from my grandmother stuff, and an old typewriter I found at home, and... well, faked the ritual. Before you ask for proof, I'll warn you: following Murphy's law, my scanner decided to stop working, so I could only take a pair of pics with my camera. And I'm the worst photographer in the world, as you already know.
Then, last saturday I went and met Monica. Now this was an amazing experience: I had to deliver the artifake to Miriam without anyone knowing (Theo could be anywhere near, we don't know how many people they have in Madrid), and then follow her to the meeting spot: the National Archeological Museum in Madrid. Making a bit shorter the story, I got there, and watched the delivery of the documents, and took some really horrible pics as you all have seen. The Theo agent was a guy, and when he left I followed him and took the pics Pierre has sent you. Now, we are waiting for Theo to mention the ritual to someone...
So why reveal everything now? Monica mailed us in the IG couberteam group that she knew the uninitiated discussed their things somewhere secret where they had help from more people, and told us it would be a good idea to do the same, to find some place we could let more people in our secrets without compromising the infor to Theo. We were quite sure she was telling us to post this on uF, so we decided to wait just till today, to give some time to Theo to mention the ritual or something (wich they haven't), and then tell about this little ninja adventure I had and what we all were planning.

Now, some pics so you can see this is not a gamejack... And again: sorry everyone who feels disappointed, before doing all this we thought it was a good idea, just as now we think it is a good idea to tell everything. AND if brianflurry didn't tell everything, as well as Jasper or the rest of the couberteam, is because we agreed it would be me the one telling my ninja adventure and the couberteam's plan, so don't go angry on them, please. About the details of the content of the postcards and the ritual... I'll leave it for the one who wrote it all (I just gave ideas and typed it in the end), as he deserves some credit too

[bryan.flurry@school]

[Khaos]

[runeix ftlr]

do me to ask james about any meeting, you guys can word the email so you only give away whta you want.

this was a truly epic task you have acomplished, it was just as good as the PM's work .

i thank you for sharing as if yuo had kept going with clues we might have been working on it forever. what do you think of our assumptions btw

Runeix

[danteIL]

I have sooooo many things that I want to say right now...


.... but it just doesn't matter I suppose. I hope that the couberteam enjoyed playing their own ARG.


EDIT- unbelievable: http://forums.unfiction.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=537427#537427

[Weezel]

[Khaos]

Just for the record, i would like to express my opinion because i may not be alone thinking that :

I think you did great and that you really don't need to apologize just because you did what you were ask to. Not to disregard you're achievement but, in the end, it doesn't have THAT much impact on the whole ARG and so players who did not get involved should not be grumpy because they miss it. It just like if you were being grumpy of not being able to recover all the artefact yourself.

There is a lot happening, that ARG is HUGE, and nobody can be everywhere. Just play your style and let everyone enjoy their.

[Weezel]

Step 1: How are we going to reveal Theo Members?

Our original brainstorming was that we were going to create a fake codex page, and use the information to produce an effect that would help us determine who the Theo members were and help draw them out. Ultimately, that transformed itself into an idea using Jorge and Monica's uncle to have some additional secret information. Rather than have it as a true codex page, this was information which was kept off the grid.

We would develop this secret information, and have Jorge (and ultimately Monica's uncle) be the responsible guardians for it. To that end, I wrote this cover letter which would accompany that secret information. It was cleaned up and translated, but here is what we worked with. Sections with {} would be handwritten, and the name of the bottom was irrelevant, as the unnamed scholar is just a tool to get this information out

--
London - 16 May 1916

Jorge,

By now, I am sure that you are aware that just as there are those who are trying to help you, there are those who are aligned against you. We have uncovered tremendous amounts of information and provided it to you for you and your friends to develop the Codex. While we all hope that your mission is successful, we must plan for the possibility of its failure, and hope that the Codex will allow others to succeed, where you could not.

In my research, I have uncovered a terrible ritual which will destroy your efforts at synchronization. I can only hope that his followers are not diligent scholars as well. While my first instinct was to destroy all evidence of my research, my fear is that this knowledge can still be used against you, or those who follow your path in the future.

I feel I have no other choice, then, but to provide this information to you in hopes that it might be safeguarded by those who are trustworthy. And if the need should ever arise, and this information is being used against you, perhaps you will have what you need to fight back.

Your dedicated {agonothetai},

{Joe Schmoe}

//

This is a copy of Javier's translation. You'll have to forgive me as I'm trying to find the history of our discussions through the gmail interface and I'm missing parts of it. I don't know if this was the final version which ultimately got typed up
--
Estoy seguro de que actualmente sabes de que así como hay personas que
estan tratando de ayudarte, hay personas que estan en tu contra.
Gracias a nuestras investigaciones, hemos descubierto enormes
cantidades de información con el objetivo de que tu y tus
colaboradores escriban el codex. Si bien todos esperamos que tu misión
sea exitosa, debemos
contemplar la posibilidad del fracaso y esperar que el codex les
permita a otros triunfar.

En mis investigaciones, he descubierto un terrible ritual que podría
arruinar todos tus esfuerzos por sincronizar los mundos. Mi esperanza
es que quienes esten buscando este ritual no sean estudiantes tan
aplicados como yo. Mi primer reacción, fue la de querer destruir toda
la información al respecto, pero me temo que este conocimiento pueda
ser usado en tu contra, o en contra de aquellos que en el futuro sigan
tu camino. Mi única opción es transmitirte todo lo que se al respecto,
esperando que este conocimiento sea atesorado por aquellos en quienes
confias. Solo espero que si alguna vez tus enemigos emplean este
conocimiento, ya estes preparado para defenderte.


Atentamente,

{agonothetai},

[Weezel]

Step 2: The ritual of desynchronization

Again, we had lots of brainstorming on this. I took the lead on writing an initial draft, and we batted around various ideas on how it would all come together. We needed to make it realistic, make it so the results would show us who the Theo members were, and finally, we hoped to inject a little humour without making it obvious.

Here's the final version of the text. This would be typed up, aged, illustrated, and presented along with the cover letter. The two items together would be stolen by Miriam and then revealed through Theo who thought they got something real. Again the { } represents had written elements, more often the 'chi' symbol. I encourage you to learn more about the labyrum and how it fits into this game world and Theodosius.

--
Corrupting Synchronization

Just as a personal labyrinth can be used to help prepare a world for larger coordination and synchronization in the multiverse, it can also be used be used for the opposite effect. By altering the personal labyrinth ritual into the corruption ritual, you will disrupt the larger synchronization efforts.

Unlike a personal labyrinth in which only one person is needed as a runner, a corruption labyrinth needs four additional people. These individuals will represent pillars and must be a different strength than the runner. The vertical pillars of the ancient Greeks not only provided strength, but surrounded the walls. In a corruption labyrinth, the pillars will lend strength to the process and surround the runner.

The corruption ritual is performed as follows:

First, you must choose a labyrinth.

The construction of the labyrinth follows the same process as a personal labyrinth. However, because of the necessity of pillars, the labyrinth must allow movement across its surface.

Secondly, you must alter the labyrinth design.

A {X} symbol must be aligned on top of the labyrinth, representing a labarum. It should be created in its original form, following the eclipse lines, and have the same width as the labyrinth being used. The center of the labarum should be positioned at the exit of the labyrinth, and each of the four pillars will begin on a corner. Each pillar must wear a blindfold and position themselves facing the center of the labarum.

Thirdly, you must prepare to document your ritual.

By whatever means, documentation of your ritual must exist after its completion. While the physical ritual may be completed, waves of disharmony will continue to resonate as long as proper documentation exists.

Fourthly, you must prepare your scroll.

You will carry a scroll with the single word Neopangaea written on it as you walk the labyrinth.

Fifthly, and finally, you will run the labyrinth.

On the day your chose, you should go to the labyrinth and should walk it from the outside in, then towards the outside again. Carry your scroll.

The {X} pillars should remain in position until the completion of the labyrinth. While waiting for the runner to complete, they must hum to begin the wave resonation.

While you're finishing the walk, you must imagine the results of Neopangaea on your world. You must imagine, in as much detail as possible, what would be lost upon its destruction.

Upon exiting the labyrinth, the runner must scream, altering the {X} pillars to its near completion. They must then run forward, crashing into the runner and each other. This impact reflects the collapsing of the world, and its waves will cause discord throughout the multiverse.

In addition, should the location of any larger labyrinth synchronization or practice be known, this ritual may be performed in its place, providing multiverse destabilization for the area and hampering future efforts.
//
And a final translation into Spanish by Javier and Tenchizard
//
Sincronización corrupta

Del mismo modo que un laberinto personal se puede usar para que el
mundo
alcance una mayor coordinación y sincronización con el multiverso,
también
puede usarse para el efecto contrario.
Transformando el laberinto personal en el ritual de corrupción,
crearás una
disrupción en los esfuerzos por sincronizar el mundo.

Si bien el laberinto personal solo necesita una persona, el laberinto
corrupto necesita cuatro personas adicionales. Estos individuos
representaran pilares, y deben tener una fuerza distinta a la que
tiene el corredor. Las antiguas columnas
griegas no solo proveían fuerza a la construcción, sino que también
rodeaban las paredes. En un laberinto de sincronización corrupta, las
columnas le dan fuerza al ritual y rodean al corredor.
El ritual de corrupción se ejecuta de la siguiente manera:

Primero, elige un laberinto.

La construcción del laberinto sigue el mismo proceso que la de un
laberinto
personal. Sin embargo, por la necesidad de los pilares, el laberinto
debe
permitir el movimiento sobre su superficie.

Segundo, debes alterar el diseño del laberinto.

Se debe alinear un símbolo {X} encima del laberinto, representando un
labarum. Debería crearse en su forma original, siguiendo las líneas
de las
elipses, y tener la misma anchura que el laberinto que vaya a usarse.
El
centro del labarum debe colocarse en la salida del laberinto, y cada
pilar
empezará en una esquina. Cada pilar debe llevar los ojos vendados y
colocarse de cara al centro del labarum.

Tercero, debes prepararte para documentar el ritual.

Luego de terminar el ritual, debes dejar pruebas de la realización del
mismo a través de cualquiera de los medios que tengas a tu
disposición.
Aunque el ritual físico se haya completado,
las ondas de disonancia seguiran resonando mientras la documentación
adecuada exista.

Cuarto, debes preparar tu pergamino.

Mientras recorres el laberinto, debes llevar contigo un pergamino en
el que esté escrita la palabra Neopangea.

Quinto, recorrerás el laberinto.

Debes recorrer el laberinto de fuera hacia dentro. Una vez que llegues
al centro, lo recorrerás nuevamente hacia fuera.
Recuerda llevar tu pergamino.

Los pilares {X} deben quedarse en su posición hasta que finalices el
recorrido del laberinto.
Mientras los pilares esperan, deben murmurar para que se produzca la
resonancia de ondas.

Durante el transcurso de tu recorrido, debes imaginar los resultados
de la transformación a Neopangea en
la estructura continental tu mundo. Debes imaginar, con el máximo
detalle posible, que se perdería con
la destrucción provocada por el proceso de transformación.

Una vez que salgas del laberinto, debes gritar para alertar a los
pilares {X}
que el ritual casi ha acabado. En ese momento, los pilares correrán
hacia ti, chocándose unos con otros. Este impacto refleja la colisión
de los continentes, y sus ondas causaran una gran interferencia a
través del multiverso.

Adicionalmente, si se conoce la localización de un laberinto de
sincronización u
otra práctica similar, se puede realizar este ritual en el mismo
lugar. De esta manera desestabilizarás dicha área del multiverso,
dañando así futuros esfuerzos de sincronización.

[Khaos]