POWER PLAYERS: The Annotated Aztlan
Of course, the challenge of wielding great power is that it brings with it great responsibility.
- Jaron the Everliving, on the price of attaining power (EDC p.7)
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Full text of Aztlan annotations
[THE BIG 'D'] Good evening.There are three untranslatable sections in the Aztlan annotations (two in this segment, one on p.114), identified from the start by Dunkelzahn as being due to the interface’s real-time language translation not being able to "handle the old tongues", both from HECATE. At least Harlequin among the others might understand what she says ?his reaction seems to suggest it, later on ?but no one other than HECATE breaks into the same language. One possibility, speculation only, is that an extreme level of annoyance can only be adequately expressed in one's mother tongue: none of the others speaking here seem to show quite the same level of irritation as HECATE. Although Ehran comes close, he has just been warned as to the translator’s shortcomings, and additionally he has been writing extensive essays and giving speeches in English for some decades now, as Alachia perhaps has not. Even after having been told about the translation difficulties, HECATE breaks again into what might well be the same language: "Tell me your reason for this[HECATE] *****IDENT FAILURE-
***** [THE BIG 'D'] Please use common English. My interface includes a real-time language translation and I'm afraid it cannot handle the old tongues.
[WORDSMYTH] What is the meaning of this??A collection of loose references here. Harlequin refers to Dunkelzahn as the "Dark Wyrm": possibly a reference to the relationship of Dark Tooth and Mountainshadow (EDD). LADY OF THE COURT will almost slip in using Dunkelzahn's and Harlequin's Matrix usernames on two occasions, the first later in this segment. Later Dunkelzahn mentions that he has called them together to read something "the humans call a compilation of files", implicitly specifying that neither he nor any of his audience are human. (We don't tend to talk in the third person indefinite collective about a group to which either we or our listeners feel ourselves to belong.)[THE LAUGHING MAN] Bravo! Outfoxed by the Dark Wyrm! True deviltry!
[LADY OF THE COURT] I was not told others would be at our meeting, dragon ...
[WORDSMYTH] Nor I.
[JUNGLE CAT] It seems we have all fallen victim to the same ruse.
[THE LAUGHING MAN] Wondrous irony, that we who prefer to be at each other's throats should be tricked into meeting after all.
[THE BIG 'D'] The subterfuge seemed necessary to accomplish my ends.
[HECATE] Tell me your reason for this
or I will leave. [THE BIG 'D'] I want all of you to read something the humans call a compilation of files. This particular collection is about Aztlan.
>JUNGLE CAT SPITS
Harlequin states that "we who prefer to be at each other's throats" are the ones who have been tricked into meeting. Among those he recognises immediately, he implies that there is immediate and strong friction. This is relevant because based on the relationship between Harlequin and Aina as portrayed in Worlds Without End, Harlequin would not consider Aina so. In that book, Aina seems still to be something of a (relatively non-rival!) friend to Harlequin, uniquely, but with respect to the others something of a recluse, not emerging from her self-imposed isolation unless she is forced to by discovering something of world-shaking importance: in fact the book begins with Harlequin coming to her, and the Horror Ysrthgrathe making its appearance shortly thereafter. The implication for the Aztlan commentary is that Aina is not among those present.
[WORDSMYTH] Is the Watcher attending to this?There is one exception to this "we": USMONDO. Nowhere in the entire commentary is there any sign that anyone present is particularly at odds with USMONDO, or vice versa. Then again, there is no sign of USMONDO's presence in the Aztlan commentary when Harlequin makes his "at each other's throats" comment, none until Ehran asks about it directly: "Is the Watcher attending to this?" and USMONDO responds: "I am here." Throughout the entire commentary, USMONDO only interacts directly with three people: Ehran, Harlequin, and Dunkelzahn ?and then only when they seek direction in their querries or are stumped. Never with the others. Not once. Even when the concerns of others are addressed, UMSONDO always references them in the third person, most commonly as an answer to Ehran or Harlequin. Further, even when those present are addressed as a group by the dragon, USMONDO never speaks up as though he were a part of that group ... something even JUNGLE CAT does do. More than any of the others, USMONDO seems to stand somehow "outside".[UMSONDO] I am here.
[THE LAUGHING MAN] And giving away nothing, as usual. In your honor I shall eschew any further humor or wit. >THE LAUGHING MAN SNIGGERS.
The working hypothesis is that Ehran and Harlequin are both questors (Earthdawn "clerics") of the Passion Mynbruje, and that USMONDO is the manifestation of that Passion.
I mention this point here briefly simply to preempt it: although USMONDO does say once that "I Watch and do not judge" (p.173), nevertheless he seems preoccupied with the entire concept of observing (Watching), understanding, and then rendering true judgement: but he cites this concept always in the abstract passive (ie. "Hecate cannot be given a true judgement here"). Perhaps he is preoccupied with (or even embodies) judgement, but others - Name-givers - are to render it? Perhaps he is limited to guidance, and it is for Name-givers to choose and to act?
A Passion at all, in this day and age? For the sake of this argument I will take it as a given (and recognise this as a base assumption) that the entity appearing to Harlequin at the beginning of Harlequin's Back ("Voices From the Past") is Vestrial, the Passion of manipulation and deceit. (The full argument will be given in the annotated Voices From The Past.) If this identification is true, the mana level and/or level of belief is clearly adequate at the time of Harlequin's Back for a Passion to manifest: a module that predates and is referenced in Aztlan. Yet Harlequin is not the questor of Vestrial: "That borders on blasphemy. You once were more devout." / "Never for you." (Harlequin's Back) The core Earthdawn text tells us that Passions can and do work together toward a mutually desirable goal: in fact, that prior to the Scourge all the Passions had been in harmony. In the Sixth World astral space has once again been cleaned, by time if by nothing else. Many of the Awakened are capable of journeying within it without risking corruption ... as was not the case immediately after the Scourge. Is it impossible that Vestrial, one of the three Passions left mad by the Scourge, has also been healed by time?
A Passion in the Matrix? Mynbruje specifically is described in ED as leaping from mind to mind. Frequently in canon, the Matrix has been described as a shared simsense illusion, its reality dependent on shared sentient perception: almost a literal meeting of minds. As with on-line posting, we cannot know the on-line presence of another until they post: and in parallel we the readers don't know whether UMSONDO is present in that debate until Ehran asks, and UMSONDO answers. Every other commentator makes specific reference to having been tricked by the dragon into being there. UMSONDO does not. He simply announces his presence when asked: and the question also is worded as though his presence were a matter of course ?not "Is the Watcher there?" but "Is the Watcher attending to this?" There is no reason to ask this question in this form ?and to be answered by an affirmation of presence! ?if the Watcher’s presence were not to be taken almost as a given, let alone if it were necessary for UMSONDO also to have been tricked into presence. One does not ask if a Passion is there, for Passion is an embodiment of what exists always within all of us. Thus the question becomes not whether the Passion is there, but whether the Passion is paying attention to this particular matter.
(Although it should also be noted that UMSONDO's presence in the Matrix "room", as everyone else's, would almost certainly have been visible to everyone at the point of arrival. If we are willing to speculate that he might be Mynbruje, we can no longer say for certain that he has been there from the beginning - or indeed that he entered the "room" in the same manner as the others.)
"And giving away nothing, as usual." Among Passions, Mybruje is described as giving indirect advice (ED?). UMSONDO will later tell Harlequin: "Laughing Man knows assistance is subtle and indirect when given" (p.23).
"In your honor I shall eschew any further humor or wit. >THE LAUGHING MAN sniggers." Appearance is not important to a questor of Mynbruje, only substance.
[WORDSMYTH] What makes you think this compilation contains anything we don't already know?The "he" here comes closely enough upon Dunkelzahn's explanation as well as UMSONDO's statement that it could refer to both, and because the Passion Mynbruje is concerned not with identification only but also with understanding of what is observed before rendering judgement, it works equally well with either. LADY OF THE COURT, who alone of those present (with the possible exception of JUNGLE CAT, who does not comment here) would have reason not to recognise Mynbruje, having never lived through a previous time when Mynbruje walked the earth, does take the "he" as referencing Dunkelzahn in the quick exchange of insults between herself and Ehran: representative of one Tir versus representative of the other, and each seeing the other as short-sighted, blind, not having thought it through.[THE LAUGHING MAN] Oh, I suspect he knows you know what we're going to see. He just doesn't think you've thought about what you know we'll see.
[LADY OF THE COURT] Ah, so the dragon knows you well, "Wordsmyth."
[WORDSMYTH] And what could have been the reason he chose to bring you here, "Lady of the Court?"
[THE BIG 'D'] Know three things, my friends. First: I am, by virtue of a friend of mine, your technological master here, in a matter of speaking - not that I wish to overstress this. Any of you are free to leave whenever you wish, but given the importance of what we are here to consider it may be slightly difficult for you to leave before we have exhausted the possibilities for discussion.At this point, Dunkelzahn has stated that he has drawn this diverse group together to determine the truth behind a series of files on Aztlan, as well as possible actions to be taken based upon this truth. The dragon has specifically chosen those capable of understanding such realities and their implications as well as those capable of acting upon them: "each of you is here because of who you are and in most cases who you represent, be it a country or other interests." Observation, analysis, understanding, truth, judgement: themes bracketing the whole of UMSONDO's contributions to this dialogue ... and themes core to the nature of the Passion Mynbruje.[THE LAUGHING MAN] A sly wyrm, isn't he? Well, I will not try to slip his bonds, if such they are. This may be amusing for a time.
[THE BIG 'D'] Second, each of you is here because of who you are and in most cases who you represent, be it a country or other interests.[THE LAUGHING MAN] ELVIS VOICE ----------> Uh, thank you very much.
[THE BIG 'D'] Also courtesy of my technologically gifted friend, you checked your personal animosities at the - what is the word? "virtual gateway" when you entered.I feel so sorry for LADY OF THE COURT throughout the commentaries. Although she is a part of this group in a way USMONDO is not, the others never seem to pass up a chance to make it clear to her that she does not really belong. In their defence, she does keep trying to act as though she were one of them in truth ?and failing. Everyone present is to some extent arrogant ?call it awareness of their power. She tries to emulate their arrogance ?"He has better taste than to cast his gifts carelessly at the feet of beasts" ?and is instantly cut down by HECATE: "He has earned his arrogance. You have not." (And Harlequin supports the hit by HECATE!) If HECATE is in fact Alachia, LADY OF THE COURT has just been dressed down by her own teacher and mentor ?in front of the specific others for whom it mattered, yet. Again and again and again she tries to be what she thinks she should be (perhaps has been taught to be); tries to find out what she thinks she should know; tries to have a say in what she thinks she should have a say in: and again and again and again she is cut down, for not having been there, for not knowing, for lacking experience. This type of cutting down will happen again and again and again throughout these commentaries, by many different people: but the first, establishing the tone for all that is to follow, is by HECATE.[THE LAUGHING MAN] Ah! Is Brightlight among us then?
[LADY OF THE COURT] I think not. He has better taste than to cast his gifts carelessly at the feet of beasts. He has not come through the "virtual gateway" spoken of.
[HECATE] Leave him be. He has earned his arrogance. You have not.
>THE LAUGHING MAN TIPS HIS HAT TO HECATE.
[JUNGLE CAT] Must I be forever compelled to associate with juveniles?JUNGLE CAT has no use for any of this: "Must I be forever compelled to associate with juveniles?" Curious use of language here. Yes, the behaviour is definitely juvenile (in the sense of immature) ?but the use of "forever" suggests a wider sense of temporal existence. Again, it is something which could be overlooked in an isolated case as standard hyperbole ?but JUNGLE CAT keeps coming up with odd phrases suggesting personal knowledge well outside the temporal limits of the Sixth World: "If I can learn anything new about our ancient foe" ...? One tentative hypothesis I suggest is that JUNGLE CAT in some way represents the interests of the Passion Jaspree: more on this once we hit the Amazonia and reforesting references.[THE BIG 'D'] Put aside your ill will. I will enforce civility between you if I absolutely must. It would be better if we behave like reasonable creatures wishing to survive and pursue our interests and pleasures. Could we please agree to this?
[WORDSMYTH]
>HECATE GRINS
[THE LAUGHING MAN] The Wordsmyth cracks a joke! Surely it is the Sixth World!
[JUNGLE CAT] I don't understand.
[LADY OF THE COURT] He is paraphrasing an old joke about gorillas.
[JUNGLE CAT] I don't know that one.
[HECATE] ANYTHING HE WANTS!
[THE LAUGHING MAN] Answer ----------> ANYTHING HE WANTS.
[JUNGLE CAT] Ah.[THE LAUGHING MAN] Who could disagree with such sweet reason?
In this joke interplay can be seen a microcosm of the group as a whole. Harlequin, Ehran, and HECATE belong. They understand each other, and know just how far to push each other. (Ehran and Harlequin had just completed an extended duel - referenced almost at the very end of these annotations ?and so eased their relationship from increasingly heated enemies to somewhat friendly rivals.) They have a mutual depth of understanding, and fencing, and interaction by turns hostile and friendly that only comes from having had history with each other. JUNGLE CAT is out of it ?he doesn't understand, and says so directly. Once again, LADY OF THE COURT tries to belong by playing the translator (after all, if you don't speak the language, you can't translate between it and something else), but emphasising her position of superiority and superior knowledge: "He is paraphrasing an old joke about gorillas." She ends up being shown to have a true grasp on neither world, condescending explanation which ends up explaining nothing ?and JUNGLE CAT tells her so: "I don’t know that one" ?rather than cutting to the punchline, which would explain everything. There are things she has been taught to be beneath her: "Dun ... Big 'D', I have better things to do with my time." The others know how to just be themselves, and let dignity go hang. She doesn't, yet.
[THE BIG 'D'] I will tell you the third thing you must know when we finish reading this.[WORDSMYTH] Wonderful.
[THE LAUGHING MAN] I'll bet I know what it is!
[THE BIG 'D'] You will all receive the complete text of the "Aztlan" document simultaneously in real time. Comment freely on anything that strikes a chord. You may also find it illuminating to discuss what you read among yourselves.
[LADY OF THE COURT] Dun ... Big 'D', I have better things to do with my time.
[THE BIG 'D'] I doubt it, Lady. I am confident you will agree with me when you read this. More important, I believe you will want to hear what the others have to say.
[HECATE] I will stay.
[WORDSMYTH] As will I, for now.
[THE LAUGHING MAN] Count me in!
[JUNGLE CAT] If I may learn anything new about our ancient foe, then I will remain.
[LADY OF THE COURT] I suppose I must stay, too.
[UMSONDO] I remain and observe.
[THE BIG 'D'] Then we shall begin.