How do Cabal and the Madness Dossier fit in to the Infinite Worlds setting?

[Sam Baughn]

I own both GURPS Cabal and GURPS Horror (third edition), but not Infinite Worlds (or whatever book the infinite worlds setting apppears in), so I was a little surised to discover that both the Cabal and at least a few elements of the Madness Dossier seem to be part of the setting in the fourth edition campaigns book.

Could someone please explain what the common elements of these settings are? I guess that the Qlippoth, the Anunnakku and Professor Headley's 'ancient ones' are all the same. I guess that the parallel earths are all aspects of Assiah, in the Cabal's terminology and that they all connect to the same Atziluth (I'm not sure if there are parallel versions of Briah and Yetzirah, but I suspect not, at least not in the clearly seperated manner of the alternative material worlds).

Also, does anyone understand the bit in Iotha's character story (page 316) about the City of the Wall (is that Berlin?) and the 'grey men' (is the reference to them making rifles on the moon meant to be taken literally?)

[cjh_cleveland]

Well, since Ken Hite wrote both GURPS Cabal and GURPS Horror 3e, and he is writing (most likely has written) GURPS Infinite Worlds, AND he has managed to work references to the Cabal into the Basic Set....I am confident that he will get the Cabal up and running in the full Infinite Worlds book.

As to the Madness Dossier, I am not sure how that would get worked into the Infinite Worlds, but I am hoping that he can (and will) find a way to incorporate it into the book as well. Or, barring that, maybe he (or someone else) will write a Pyramid article converting it.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

I own both GURPS Cabal and GURPS Horror (third edition), but not Infinite Worlds (or whatever book the infinite worlds setting apppears in), so I was a little surised to discover that both the Cabal and at least a few elements of the Madness Dossier seem to be part of the setting in the fourth edition campaigns book.?)

Infinite Worlds originally appeared in GURPS Time Travel (by SJ and the eminent John Ford). At that time neither GURPS Cabal nor Horror(3e) had been written yet. AFAIK at that time Ken Hite had not yet written a GURPS book. Later the Alternate Worlds books were published in support of the IW setting (primarily). However the idea that IW was a meta-setting that could conceivably connect any GURPS world had yet to be conceived. That was an innovation of 4e. Pulver wrote the IW chapter in the book, but Hite wrote the iconic character stories and will pen Infinite Worlds.

Could someone please explain what the common elements of these settings are? I guess that the Qlippoth, the Anunnakku and Professor Headley's 'ancient ones' are all the same. I guess that the parallel earths are all aspects of Assiah, in the Cabal's terminology and that they all connect to the same Atziluth (I'm not sure if there are parallel versions of Briah and Yetzirah, but I suspect not, at least not in the clearly seperated manner of the alternative material worlds).

Knowing Hitey goodness, I suspect he will leave a healthy amount of mystery and possible connections, in defining the metaphysics of IW.Your interpretation seems to be a pretty good default, however.

Also, does anyone understand the bit in Iotha's character story (page 316) about the City of the Wall (is that Berlin?) and the 'grey men' (is the reference to them making rifles on the moon meant to be taken literally?)

I agree, the City of Walls is an implied Berlin. The grey men are probably "grey" aliens and the moon is probably literal.

[ken_hite]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

Also, does anyone understand the bit in Iotha's character story (page 316) about the City of the Wall (is that Berlin?) and the 'grey men' (is the reference to them making rifles on the moon meant to be taken literally?)

Sir Pudding has already answered your other questions with admirable direction, so I'll just toss this answer off to complete the set. When writing that story, I intended the City of the Wall to be a relatively clear reference to Berlin, and the grey men on the moon to refer less clearly to a Soviet moon base in an alternate Cold War setting. I deliberately left it opaque first because I wanted to keep the fantasy-ish sound of things, and second, because I liked the uncertainty of whether the "grey men" were Soviets or Greys.