Illuminati: The Conspiracy

                              By Stephen Esdale
               With a plethoria of information and assistance
                    and information provided by Anders Sandberg
     
Chapter 1:  Introduction
     
     We are prisoners in our own World.
     Since the dawn of time we sleepers...mortals...humans have
been the pawns of greater powers.  To them we were nothing; used
as tools and exploited for their enjoyment.      
     The first to become our "masters" were those horrible
creatures society would label Werewolves.  These things that call
themselves Garou subjected us to the harsh tyranny called the
Impergium.  For millennia they culled our numbers, stopped us
from growing, and stole our world from us.  We all have a legacy
from it.  For to look upon one of the beasts still causes madness
and overriding fear; a racial memory of undying intensity.  
     No one remembers those dark days...no one but us.
     Vampires sought to continue the cycle of dominance.  These
creatures exist in a limbo between life and death.  They have
great mystic power and have the will to use it.  Many of our
most talented, famous, and infamous people have been taken over
to their side.  Our greatest resources have been stolen from us,
the collected treasures of humanity have been raped by
abominations!  They walk among us, unseen by most.  They control
mortals from the darkness, unknown by most.  They are a danger to
all of us, incomprehensible by most.  
     We are not like most people.  We see, know, and comprehend.  
    Magic exists all around us.  Those of us have master magic in
some form are called Hedge Wizards.  This moniker was bestowed by
those of Supernatural origin; our magic cannot compare to
that of the Vampire's Thaumaturgy and those of the immortal
Mummy.  Mummies, like their magic, are potent but not a threat. 
They seek the destruction of Vampires, and that could be the key
to bringing them over to our side.       
     There is another magic so potent in this world, that its
source defies logic.  Only these people deserve to be called
Magi.  Once they were like us and are still very much mortal.  I
have been told they have seen the true nature of reality, and are
bestowed with the power to shape it to their will. I have also
been informed by those of their kind that they have only limited
control, lest powers beyond their scope crush them underfoot.  We
would have called these Magi brothers, but they have continually
attempted to control humanity.  They have herded them into an
alien philosophy they call Ascension.
     Of all of these, those who call themselves the Technomancers
are the worst.  Bastions of technology, they have enslaved
humanity under a dogma of science and logic.  We allowed them to
start the Age of Reason, for it subverted the other supernaturals
and forced them into hiding.  Their technological advancements
have given us new weapons against our age-old enemies.  Yet the
time for allowing the Technomages free reign has long passed. 
Their Empire will be crushed in The Conspiracy. 
     Ah yes, The Conspiracy.  That is the name for the plans we
have created to finally free Humanity from the yoke of
Supernatural influence.  Yet its more than that, for we want
humanity under our guidance.  For too long have they wandered
like sheep, allowing the Vampire, Magi, and Werewolf to control
them.  They need a Shepherd; a leader to show them the way to
world dominance. We, the Illuminati, are that force.
     The Secret Societies that we call the Illuminati are a
diverse lot.  Some of us have existed since before the Egyptians,
some only very recently.   Some, like my Society,  want political
power; others wish to control the flow of information or money. 
Others just want power of a different kind, like magic or
knowledge!   Our secrecy has been guaranteed by our unorthodox
methods.  A web of intrigue, control and influence make it nearly
impossible for those seeking the truth to find it.  And if
they do get close?  We drop the name Illuminati in the laps. 
Those Vampire fools of Clan Tremere call their information
network by the same name we do.  The odds are in our
favour that those seeking us out will attribute our...deeds to
the Tremere.  No wonder those undead Warlocks are so mistrusted!  
     No.  We should have never given our name to the Sheep, nor
to the Supernatural forces that control them.  Because of it, our
secrecy could be threatened.  A Tremere Warlock called Corvus
Beltane has learned some of our secrets and has taken his
knowledge underground.  Though our forces have waged a successful
campaign of disinformation, our fear is that others will listen
to his words and actually believe him.  That Vampire and his
"Shamans of Beltane" must die!
     The Courts will send their Cadres, independent
troubleshooters charged with protecting the phantom veneer we
hide behind.  There are many powers in the world which are beyond
even our ability to fathom.  We must be diligent, or they will
crush us like the ants we truly are.
     Now that you heard this, you have no other option but to
become a member of our side.  You will now swear your loyalty to
the Society of the Global Elite.  If the lie detector detects
deception, you will be filled with enough volts light up a small
town.  Now repeat after me...


          Introduction

     Welcome to my pet project, something I have always wanted to
add in the World of Darkness.  However, before you read any
further I want to lay out what this supplement is all about. 
For one thing, Illuminati: The Conspiracy is not meant to
redefine anything in the World of Darkness.  Everything you have
heard in the other Storyteller games in NOT changed by this
supplement.  What I have done is added a hidden element into the
Goth-Punk world, along with enough rumours and ideas to allow the
Storyteller to pick-and-choose what elements are suitable for his
or her own campaign.  In the end, this supplement is an aid for
Storytellers to spice up their campaign world.  No one should
tell you how to run Illuminati; not even its writer.

     This is a supplement of mundane secret societies, run by
extraordinary but still mundane humans.  For those who want nifty
new supernatural creatures with wondrous powers and vicious
natural weapons, you will be sadly disappointed.  Its strictly a
roleplaying tool.  Though they Societies have nifty gadgets at
their disposal, Mages and other supernatural creatures would eat
a conventional Knight (an Illuminati Agent) for breakfast.  Only
by careful planning and scheming can these forces remain
undetected in this dark and strange land.
     Illuminati is a work filled with mystery, suspense, and
irony.  Irony?  Yes, for the World of Darkness is filled with
dramatic irony.  The Vampire Sabbat, though the Arch-enemy of the
Camarilla, may be the Kindred's only hope against the
Antediluvians.  Werewolves, by their Impergium, may have driven
humanity into the Weaver's influence to escape Garou tyranny. 
Finally, Mage's, by their actions in the Mythic Age, may have
contributed to the rise of the Technocracy (though, in the case
of the latter, we give an alternate theory).  
     In Illuminati: The Conspiracy it is very ironic that this 
influential and powerful organization isn't controlled by 
supernatural monstrosities or powerful wizard's chantry.  It is
mundane humans, though some blessed with extraordinary Numina,
that are the self-appointed puppet-masters of Humanity.  It is
also very Paradoxical that though the Secret Societies are
against Supernatural Influence in the world, their great power
comes from the Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage pawns at their
disposal.  Though they want a world free from arcane authority,
they need them to maintain their grip on humanity.
     Another element that is very important is paranoia.  Plots
behind plots, ulterior motives, and secret agendas are
everywhere.  Working for an mysterious organization, often facing
an enemy that a total unknown.  Your never sure whether your
teammates are trusted friends, or spies.  You could be the
spy!  The only person you cannot distrust is your boss and he's 
brainwashed you.
     As you are reading this, you will immediately draw
comparisons between this and Steve Jackson's Illuminati (both the
GURPS supplement and the card game).   I must admit that the game
was the catalyst for writing this supplement, as well as
inspiration for the major societies in the game (Gnomes of
Zurich = Shadow Bank, Bavarian Illuminati = Global Elite).  Yet
the bulk of the work remains generally my own (along with
more than generous help from Anders Sandberg and a
non-listmember, Carl Gutbrod).
     I have undoubtedly used a lot of copyrights and trademarks
here, and did so without permission.  I am getting no revenue
from this and have very little money myself.  Don't sue me; you
won't get much.