Scientology

[Alejandro]

What is Scientology in the In Nomine Universe?

[robkelk]

A non-Divine religion.

(The group's best guess so far is that Vapula created it.)

[William]

Scientology is discussed briefly in the Game Master's Guide. It was canonically created by Hubbard, who was apparently mundane -- the religion is "frequently rumored to have been engineered by celestials (or ethereals)," but no one can prove it. It is indeed a non-Divine religion.

[Alejandro]

So then who is behind Project Chanology and these "Anonymous" protesters in Guy Fawkes masks?

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Alejandro

So then who is behind Project Chanology and these "Anonymous" protesters in Guy Fawkes masks?

A few possibilities:

1) Purely mundane -- never discount the human ability to get weird.

2) Demons of Kobal -- most of their protest tactics have the feel of pranks.

3) Demons of Nybbas -- many of their early tactics were designed to arrange Denial of Service to the CoS on the Internet.

4) Angels of Janus, trying to force changes in the group, or to shake up society by breaking it up.

One that would *not*be a possibility -- angels of Litheroy. Granted, they're trying to force the CoS into openness, but Revelationists wouldn't wear masks or use pseudonyms.

[gjc8]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

A few possibilities:

1) Purely mundane -- never discount the human ability to get weird.

2) Demons of Kobal -- most of their protest tactics have the feel of pranks.

3) Demons of Nybbas -- many of their early tactics were designed to arrange Denial of Service to the CoS on the Internet.

4) Angels of Janus, trying to force changes in the group, or to shake up society by breaking it up.

Or all of the above...

[naraht]

Yes, I know this is bringing back a Necrothread...

Consider the following possibility in game possibility: The E- in E-meter stands for Essence. If someone being measured by an E-meter gains or loses Essence, the E-meter will detect it.

Now given that not all humans will actually gain an essence at Noon (if they are full, it doesn't detect it) and that some entities (angels, demons, other) will show changes at other times during the 24 hour time period and it appears that use of Essence by nearby people may set it off as well....

The problem is that Jean hasn't been able to reproduce it since it seems to require that both the E-meter must be made by the Scientology Church *and* it must be used by a believing Scientologist.

So how does it work and can it be reproduced? I think the campaign that deals with this would involve Jean and probably Blandine on the Angelic side (Does the lack of observed Scientology related Ethereals indicate that it is divine or something else) and Kobal, Nybbas and Vapula on the Demonic side though the DPs may very different aims. Other possibilities include Litheroy, Janus, Valefor and Beleth.

[PenitentDemon]

i like the nybass idea, as its a "cool" religion


Kopimism is Cooler of course, but tends to empty Nybass's pockets.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by naraht

Yes, I know this is bringing back a Necrothread...

Consider the following possibility in game possibility: The E- in E-meter stands for Essence. If someone being measured by an E-meter gains or loses Essence, the E-meter will detect it.

Now given that not all humans will actually gain an essence at Noon (if they are full, it doesn't detect it) and that some entities (angels, demons, other) will show changes at other times during the 24 hour time period and it appears that use of Essence by nearby people may set it off as well....

The problem is that Jean hasn't been able to reproduce it since it seems to require that both the E-meter must be made by the Scientology Church *and* it must be used by a believing Scientologist.

So how does it work and can it be reproduced? ...

I'd say it works about as well as Nybbas' Essence-detecting glasses (that is, it isn't perfect.)

Come to think of it, this would be the Hesienberg equivalent to those glasses - the Infernal artifacts detect the amount, the Corporeal artifacts detect the change, and you can't know both the amount and change of someone's Essence with any reliability any more than you can know both the position and speed of a subatomic particle with any reliability. Thus, the use of one type of detector interferes with the use of the other type. Normally this isn't a big deal... unless you're an Impudite of The Media with a Role as a Scientologist.

I'd leave this as a Scientologist-only artifact (Eli's antics notwithstanding), just to give Humans another edge in The War.

[ISNorden]

I see several possible Infernal backers for the Church of Scientology, myself:

• Alaemon loves the secrecy promoted by upper-level CoS members, and their uncanny ability to deny or cover up anything that might embarrass the church in public.
• Asmodeus loves the complicated rules and hierarchy--not to mention the Hellhound-like tactics that the CoS uses on dissenters.
• Mammon loves the pricing structure of the CoS course materials and membership; make the good levels super-expensive and members will pay through the nose.
• Nybbas loves the sheer number of celebrities in the CoS--not to mention the publicity stunts, both for and against the church.
• Vapula loves the bizarre pseudo-scientific myths created by L. Ron Hubbard: alien overlords, ghosts from outer space clinging to human minds, elite members learning control over MEST (matter/energy/space/time).

So, did Hell actively create Scientology through Hubbard? I'd have to say no: he was a deluded paranoid with a greedy streak, but no real supernatural link in IN terms. Hell certainly has its reasons for keeping the CoS alive, but the few real "spirits of Scientology" are ethereals inspired by Hubbard's background story. Yes, this means that somewhere in the Marches, Xenu rules a galaxy and owns a fleet of starships that resemble rocket-powered jet planes. The "body Thetans" are badly maimed dreamshades (or fragments) who float around, slurping Essence from Corporeal beings.