Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: "Fisher, Victor" <Victor-Fisher@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Magical Groups / Threats---Spoilers for Faux Pas' Group!
Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 13:28:47 -0400
>Spoilers for Faux Pas (Thomas) Gaming Group. Don't Read!!!
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>
>While re-reading Threats, I really wasn't sure what it was that was so bad
>or evil about the Black Lodge. Sure, they want to rule the world from
>behind the scenes - and they've got some clue about the Immortal Elves, but
>what really is evil or bad about them? They don't seem to be as bad as the
>Bugs or the Enemy. Or Winternight (shudder). The way they're written up,
>they could just as well be a force for good (aside for their dislike of
>elves).
>
>And in the Shadowrun Companion, under the Dark Secret flaw, it describes
>dealing with the Black Lodge in the past as a possible fulfillment of the
>flaw.


In my games, The Black Lodge is essentially The Illumnati. While
not necessarily evil, it's an organization that's become so huge and
byzantine in it's mechanizations that even some of it's Inner Circle
don't quite know what's going on! Alliances are formed and dissolved at
the drop of a run. Your best friend may be ploting your downfall even as
you speak to him, while an enemy may be your only hope for succcess, or
survival.
When they say dealing with the Black Lodge qualifies as a Dark
Secret flaw, maybe it's because while the player [knowingly or not] has
been involved with the Black Lodge, they may have alienated ,or down
right made an enemy of, another faction within the Lodge whose goals run
contrary to those of the faction that hired them (whew!).
And the only thing worse than an enemy you can't see, is the one
you can, but would never suspect. [Time to buy up that Etiquette: Black
Lodge, neh?]
But, I'm getting besides myself here. These guys would NEVER make
an appearance in MY game <evil GM chuckle>.

Victor {knower of the secret Freemason handshake!}
Message no. 2
From: "Faux Pas (Thomas)" <thomas@*******.COM>
Subject: Re: Magical Groups / Threats---Spoilers for Faux Pas' Group!
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 12:26:24 -0500
At 01:28 PM 5/20/97 -0400, Fisher, Victor whispered:
>>Spoilers for Faux Pas (Thomas) Gaming Group. Don't Read!!!
>>b
>>l
>>a
>>h
>>
>>b
>>l
>>a
>>h
>>
>>b
>>l
>>a
>>h
>>
>>

So what I've gotten from the responses and from Threats is that (1) The
Black Lodge isn't evil, just huge, (2) They want to rule the world, (3)
They don't like elves, (4) They don't like the Illuminates of the New Dawn.

Taking these into consideration, the Black Lodge could be a slow-moving
force for good. But what's their goal - power for the sake of power?


-Thomas Deeny
Your Guide to Shadowrun -- http://shadowrun.miningco.com -- updated every
Wednesday!
Thomas's World is http://telltale.hart.org -- come visit!

"... what character deserves to be left alone more at the end of the world
than that idiot Ash?"
-Bruce Campbell on the dropped ending for _Army of Darkness_
Message no. 3
From: "Fisher, Victor" <Victor-Fisher@******.COM>
Subject: Re: Magical Groups / Threats---Spoilers for Faux Pas' Group!
Date: Fri, 23 May 1997 13:46:57 -0400
>Spoilers for Faux Pas (Thomas) Gaming Group. Don't Read!!!
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>b
>l
>a
>h
>
>
>So what I've gotten from the responses and from Threats is that (1) The
>Black Lodge isn't evil, just huge, (2) They want to rule the world, (3)
>They don't like elves, (4) They don't like the Illuminates of the New Dawn.
>
>Taking these into consideration, the Black Lodge could be a slow-moving
>force for good. But what's their goal - power for the sake of power?
>
>
> I'd have to say they're not really a Force for Good, but for Order
>[there's a BIG difference].
> There's a line from the Brit TV series, Yes, Prime Minister, where Sir
>Humphries tells the PM that British Law isn't about doing the nice thing, but
>doing what has to be done, for it's better to be considered heartless, and do
>what needs to be done, than to be mindless, and end up doing more harm than
>good [well, in the Civil Services eyes, anyway].
> To paraphrase, the perfect society is one of absolute order. That's why
>a nuclear war would be so appealing; everyone would be dead, but things would
>be well in order! [You have to see the full skit, to really get the gist of
>how Humphries manages to make a horrifying situation somehow seem remarkably
>plausible <big grin>].
> While maybe not going to THAT extreme, The Black Lodge could see the
>world as being a much better place, if someone like THEM were running it.
>That's probably why they don't like the more powerful elven orders, and their
>own dissatisfied splinter group, the Illuminates of the New Dawn; both groups
>tend to think in the long term, and would prove a threat to the Lodge's goals
>of total domination.
> That said, I must now swallow my poison pill <gulp!>.
> [DOH! Took an aspirin by mistake!]
>
>
>
> "Hey, Brain? What are we going to do tomorrow night?"
> "Same thing we do every night, Pinky.Try to take over the WORLD!"
>

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Magical Groups / Threats---Spoilers for Faux Pas' Group!, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!