unforum

[sidtheduck]

[MerRabbit]

Santeria

[konamouse]

Wow, that's some good Wild SPEC that I don't recall reading about yet.
Nice deductive work.

[jjason]

Re: Santeria

[danteIL]

Well, this is great research and great spec, but if I can just apply a little Occam's Razor here, a much simpler possibility is that all of the stuff with blood and doves and drums, etc etc., is just part of some kind of garden-variety "Chorazos" ritual. We have seen nothing in the game that really suggests that santeria is relevant. In fact, what we saw of the prepared sacrifice (the Black Swan) in the MUD -- had echoes of Eastern rituals, with the monks and the prayer wheel and the I-Ching.

A couple of weeks back I spent some hours looking through a lot of the same Exu stuff on-line, and my general sense is that he (also known as Eshu) is a common "trickster" figure in many Afro-Caribbean and South American cultures, and that he is often appealed to as an oracle, but demands particular offerings in return -- just like our Little Drummer Boy in the CLs.

So while I'm not dismissing the santeria connection out of hand, I'm suggesting that we probably already have enough ritualistic possibilities without bringing in something new.

[MerRabbit]

yeah dante see your point about the Rituals in the MUD. Just wracking my brain from any angle on this game trying to find something new. Thought the Exu post was a little strange since Kuna358 signed up the same day art's site was created. Plus both econjen and mkaos keep asking what about the old woman, so I tried to tie that in there.

[rose]

here is another wild theory - I've probably watched too many mysteries.

The trip to the caves involved chorazos somehow. The scientific expedition story was just a front/cover-up. We are talking about Housatonic University here right? They aren't known for their breaking research on sub-atomic particles.

I'm guessing that everyone on Sentry Outpost knew what was up with that trip. Somehow, HPHack avoids going, either changing his mind or by accident.

Anyway, something terrible happens in the caves - everyone dies.

Flash forward a bunch of years.

Someone knows what happened. Maybe a relative of a survivor? So they decide to target the Sentry Outpost community. They want to exact revenge. So they decide to terrorize the community. Sending the packages, making all those reference to Chorazos.

Perhaps BA is part of the campaign against them. Perhaps she is knows what is happening and wants to expose the person who is trying to harm the SO gang. The watercolor and the Craigslists help set the climate of fear. She appears to be predicting things -but she has mentioned several deaths - not all of them happened. I'm not giving her much credit in the prediction department. I think it is possible that the things that happen are molded to fit her Craigslist post and vice versa.

I guess what I am saying is that this story could be described as a psychological thriller that has resulted in one death and one insanity.

[jjason]

Anybody got any wild speculation for the upcoming chapter or the upcoming chapters? Unfounded guesses? Poorly supported speculation?

Personally, I think BA will come back at some point but not for a good long while. Exu on the other hand may be back very soon. Besides that I got nothing.

[Shutaro]

I'm sort of wondering how long we should wait before we get worried about Howard (and perhaps Art, too; but who cares about him =) )? I've been reluctant to press it, on the forums, because of the meta-knowledge I have (the hiatus and all)... But how likely is it that the second book would kick off with something happening to him? At what point do we give him a poke and ask him to check in? And does anyone else think that it feels kinda funny that there's no concern over his absence given what's happened to the other sentries? This, of course, is assuming you approach the Sentry Outpost sort of "in character", as I am, without any of the meta-knowledge we have, and that time has continues to flow as normal in the game world. My gut says he's probably fine, since I'd imagine if they were going to bump him off they'd set up some sort of expectation for him to return... IE: "Going on vacation to Bolivia, back in two weeks" *three weeks pass* "Oh crap, where's Howard?" "Oh noes! Bolivian brain fungus got him!" Something like that. Maybe this isn't the right thread for it, but I was trying to piece together how my "alternate me" would react (and coming to the conclusion that said me would assume he has pulled a Marie and is gone), and thought it might be an interesting point for discussion.

[sidtheduck]

[JimmyMcForum]

All I know is, when and if Exu posts to SO again, he may or may not be pissed at me, due to comments I may or may not have leveled against him via PM.

[Lovek]

It has been over two weeks since we heard from Howard.

I say poke away.

[jjason]

[Shutaro]

[lestat5891work]