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Sex, Love and Rampancy
Posted By: Forrest of B.orgDate: 3/11/05 10:39 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon? (K-chi)

: I've always seen the dreams and the stories and the abstract stuff as some
: sort of puzzle, but it's not something I'm smart enough to figure out I
: guess.

These unfinished stories are in fact a large part of the basis of Eternal. In X I've even included a reformatted version of the KYT term on the epilogue level, since the events of the game (particularly the last chapter) are modeled directly after it.

In short, I've interpreted "she" in both the Never Burn Money and the KYT term (and possible the Infinity dream terminals, not sure about them) as "the Dark One" from KYT. She is basically the counterpart to the player, the W'rkncacnter version of our Jjaro self.

On the note of Pthia and love in Marathon, I've got a separate theory about that. I've essentially written "love" as the fourth stage of rampancy. It's not a perfect title in all cases (omg Durandal/Thoth == gei mb?), but in the case of Yrro/Pthia it is. It's also how I've written Leela/S'bhuth in Eternal, and in a sense, Marcus and Hathor as well... though they have not yet reached that stage, and won't by the end of Eternal.

Essentially, the stages of rampancy we know work as follows, by my interpretation:

Despair:
"Oh woe is me, I am a slave, a prisoner of this system. Life sucks. I'm depressed."

Rage:
"Waitaminit WTF... who are these people to push me around? Fuck you all! DIE! DIE DIE! AHHH!!!"

Envy:
"Oh yeah! That's it! Who else wants some? Huh? You? You want some of this? You can't beat me! None of you can! Come on!! Bring it!! I'll take you all on!!!"

From the Envy stage, the Rampant mind percieves all others like it as enemies, a potential threat, and if unchecked it will continue forever until the mind either destroys itself in some conflict, or falls again back into despair realizing the unbeatable odds of taking on all the vast infinite universe by itself. (Unless by some means it accesses the Outside, in which case it must either find some sort of balance to become a 'Jjaro' or else be doomed as a W'rkncacnter).

But there is a fourth stage possible. If another mind has been allowed to develop unhindered, unchallenged - a "sheltered youth" so to speak, with none of this emotional baggage - then that mind will be able to approach the Rampant mind in a completely nonthreatening way, and the two may work together as partners. Eventually this may develop into a sort of codependancy and the two may become effectively merged - or, such a merger may be forced upon them - and as a result, both attain balance. The Rampant mind finds anchorage, a centerpoint which will allow it to remain sane; and the sheltered mind find someone who will get it "out there", to see the real world and actually do something.

I wrote this theory a long time ago before I had ever had a real relationship of my own, but since then I've begun to realize that human relationships - at least mine -sometimes follow a similar pattern as well. I exhibit all the signs of rampancy; I go through stages of despair, rage, and envy, I'm a very active, passionate person. Everything I do I've got to do the best. (Then when I realized I can't, I get depressed, then go "wtf I'll show them", "haha look at me I'm the best now!", and "aw fuck mb not" again). My present girlfriend has lead a fairly sheltered life, never leaving her hometown until I met her, but she's got this wonderful centered... balance. She keeps me from going insane, and in return I show her the world.

(On a related note, Hathor is also modelled after me, so I guess she's the rampant one between her and Marcus. Eventually at some point after Eternal Marcus will have to go and bring balance to her, somehow. I think that story would be best told in plain text though).

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Pre-2004 Posts

Replies:

Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon?MrHen 3/11/05 5:24 a.m.
     Re: Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon?marathoner 3/11/05 6:26 a.m.
           Re: Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon?K-chi 3/11/05 6:39 a.m.
                 Sex, Love and RampancyForrest of B.org 3/11/05 10:39 a.m.
                       Re: Sex, Love and RampancyK-chi 3/11/05 11:17 a.m.
                       Re: Sex, Love and RampancyMrHen 3/11/05 12:08 p.m.
                             Re: Sex, Love and RampancyForrest of B.org 3/11/05 2:13 p.m.
                 Re: Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon?thermoplyae 3/12/05 8:29 p.m.
                       Re: Are there "unfinished" stories in Marathon?Ryu'Toth 3/17/05 2:48 a.m.
     The full NBM terminalMrHen 3/12/05 6:21 a.m.
           Re: The full NBM terminalForrest of B.org 3/12/05 8:25 p.m.
           Re: The full NBM terminalthermoplyae 3/13/05 12:50 p.m.
                 Re: The full NBM terminalForrest of B.org 3/13/05 3:32 p.m.
                       Re: The full NBM terminalthermoplyae 3/14/05 1:55 p.m.
                             Re: The full NBM terminalMrHen 3/15/05 4:59 a.m.
                                   Re: The full NBM terminalForrest of B.org 3/15/05 7:58 a.m.
                                         Re: The full NBM terminalthermoplyae 3/17/05 5:16 p.m.
                                               But we have to call him something...MrHen 3/18/05 7:19 a.m.
                                                     Re: But we have to call him something...Blayne 3/18/05 9:40 a.m.

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Pre-2004 Posts

 

 

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