So I have recently re-read Signs of Sorcery, and it came to me that I don't think I have seen some in depth discussion about how to represent the lesser Seer Ministries which are claimed to serve the Iron Seals. I mean, we all know about Panopticon (as the ever watching surveillance Ministry), Paternoster (which manipulates religion and dogma in order to hide the truth), Praetorian (which advance violence and war) and Hegemonic (which rules through national identities which crush the individuals), and we were later introduced with Mammon (who uses money to rule the world), Horologion (which traps people in predestined clockwork life), Geryon (which ruled through fear from unknown threats) and of course the Gate (which tries to find balance between the truth and the Abyss), we still have a number of Ministries which are yet to examine, of which we only know their name and which Exarch they serve- which, considering the flowery names of those Ministries, is not much.
But it can be enough.
The Dolusian for example- "dolus" means "deception with evil intent". Where Paternoster turns to religion to control the masses, a Ministry with that name makes me think about a more modern incarnation: perhaps something focused around spreading "fake news" or tilted scientific researches. Instead of giving a rigid dogma which offers people a false truth, the Dolusian bring chaos by spreading misinformation and making people to question their own truth.
The Phemian Ministry of the Eye, however, is much less obvious- it seems to relate to "speech", so perhaps instead of watching for secrets, the Phemian anonymously spreads secrets about people? Or maybe it threats people through their secrets? It must have the themes of "speech" or "voice", as well as secrets, but I am really not sure how..
The Herodian is actually another easy one. As its name is probably a reference to King Herod, my first though was about his role as the "builder king", yet making monuments is not exactly the General's shtick. Then I remembered that story about him commanding the Massacre of the Innocents, which makes a lot more of sense for the General, as a Ministry which supports collateral damage and death of many innocents in the name of hiding the truth/ fulfilling the porpuse.
Last among the Archigenitors, the Logothete takes its name from administrative position in the Byzantium Empire- so perhaps something in the style of propaganda control and spreading? Or perhaps where the Hegemonic is about nationalism, the Logothete and its "hierarchical mechanism" would represent communism? After all, "perfect equality", the lack of individualism and toil in the name of ideals turned corrupted is very Unity in themes, and works with the name of the Ministry IMO.
Now, Pantechnicon was mentioned before, so we know what it is about- corrupting technology and using tech in order to control the masses. So yeah, the Free Council's worst enemy and such.
As for the Orphean- I must admit I was surprised to see it for the Nemesis and not the Psychopomp. Orphean is probably going to take a form of a mystery cult even more than the usual Ministry, perhaps manipulation through cults? Using the mysteries and the occult in order to draw people to the unknown, and making them fear it? Or perhaps giving people fake tools and ceremonies to make them more vulnerable against the spirit world? Yeah, there are a lot of ways to roll with it.
The Rhadamantian Ministry is the only example Ministry to serve the Psychopomp. Considering that they are called after one of the Judges of the Dead in Greek Culture and the role of the Psychopomp at allowing only "rare few" to go the the afterlife, I can see them as either taking over the law system in order to corrupt it and send innocents to jail or something of that style, or maybe they would have a bigger focus around death and actually "judge the guilty" by murdering those who they see as unworthy to the truth. I think I like the first concept better, as it fits the Seers in spreading lack of faith of the public in their own law system, and corrupt justice in the name of the Psychopomp. You are all guilty until proven otherwise kind of thing.
Now, the Peirasmon Ministry of the Ruin is also something really interesting- instead of drawing people towards the inevitable, their name hints that they actually try to lure people to bring their own doom. They are the devil in the crossroads, which gives people the means for their own destruction, whispering that desires are tools for doom and as such deny people of what they truly desire. Kinda fits my vision of the Ruin as a semi satanistic Exarch among the Seer religion.
Finally, the weirdest Ministry is the Kyrian. Worshiping both the Prophet and the Ruin, their name seems to mean "My Lord" or something in that style, which, according to Wikipedia, relates to a number of prayers in Christianity- like "Lord, have mercy". The concept of a cruel god which dictates your fate and sends you to oblivion is a good syncretic form of those two Exarchs. Perhaps a Ministry which leads people to destroy their own lives in attempts to gain the mercy of an higher power? Like how people would sell their house and family just to cover their debt, giving anything out of desperate hope it would bring them salvation? Could easily be connected to the criminal underworld, IMO- or to the banking system, becoming a rival to Mammon.
Well, that's what I have for those Ministries- any thoughts/suggestions about the subject?
But it can be enough.
The Dolusian for example- "dolus" means "deception with evil intent". Where Paternoster turns to religion to control the masses, a Ministry with that name makes me think about a more modern incarnation: perhaps something focused around spreading "fake news" or tilted scientific researches. Instead of giving a rigid dogma which offers people a false truth, the Dolusian bring chaos by spreading misinformation and making people to question their own truth.
The Phemian Ministry of the Eye, however, is much less obvious- it seems to relate to "speech", so perhaps instead of watching for secrets, the Phemian anonymously spreads secrets about people? Or maybe it threats people through their secrets? It must have the themes of "speech" or "voice", as well as secrets, but I am really not sure how..
The Herodian is actually another easy one. As its name is probably a reference to King Herod, my first though was about his role as the "builder king", yet making monuments is not exactly the General's shtick. Then I remembered that story about him commanding the Massacre of the Innocents, which makes a lot more of sense for the General, as a Ministry which supports collateral damage and death of many innocents in the name of hiding the truth/ fulfilling the porpuse.
Last among the Archigenitors, the Logothete takes its name from administrative position in the Byzantium Empire- so perhaps something in the style of propaganda control and spreading? Or perhaps where the Hegemonic is about nationalism, the Logothete and its "hierarchical mechanism" would represent communism? After all, "perfect equality", the lack of individualism and toil in the name of ideals turned corrupted is very Unity in themes, and works with the name of the Ministry IMO.
Now, Pantechnicon was mentioned before, so we know what it is about- corrupting technology and using tech in order to control the masses. So yeah, the Free Council's worst enemy and such.
As for the Orphean- I must admit I was surprised to see it for the Nemesis and not the Psychopomp. Orphean is probably going to take a form of a mystery cult even more than the usual Ministry, perhaps manipulation through cults? Using the mysteries and the occult in order to draw people to the unknown, and making them fear it? Or perhaps giving people fake tools and ceremonies to make them more vulnerable against the spirit world? Yeah, there are a lot of ways to roll with it.
The Rhadamantian Ministry is the only example Ministry to serve the Psychopomp. Considering that they are called after one of the Judges of the Dead in Greek Culture and the role of the Psychopomp at allowing only "rare few" to go the the afterlife, I can see them as either taking over the law system in order to corrupt it and send innocents to jail or something of that style, or maybe they would have a bigger focus around death and actually "judge the guilty" by murdering those who they see as unworthy to the truth. I think I like the first concept better, as it fits the Seers in spreading lack of faith of the public in their own law system, and corrupt justice in the name of the Psychopomp. You are all guilty until proven otherwise kind of thing.
Now, the Peirasmon Ministry of the Ruin is also something really interesting- instead of drawing people towards the inevitable, their name hints that they actually try to lure people to bring their own doom. They are the devil in the crossroads, which gives people the means for their own destruction, whispering that desires are tools for doom and as such deny people of what they truly desire. Kinda fits my vision of the Ruin as a semi satanistic Exarch among the Seer religion.
Finally, the weirdest Ministry is the Kyrian. Worshiping both the Prophet and the Ruin, their name seems to mean "My Lord" or something in that style, which, according to Wikipedia, relates to a number of prayers in Christianity- like "Lord, have mercy". The concept of a cruel god which dictates your fate and sends you to oblivion is a good syncretic form of those two Exarchs. Perhaps a Ministry which leads people to destroy their own lives in attempts to gain the mercy of an higher power? Like how people would sell their house and family just to cover their debt, giving anything out of desperate hope it would bring them salvation? Could easily be connected to the criminal underworld, IMO- or to the banking system, becoming a rival to Mammon.
Well, that's what I have for those Ministries- any thoughts/suggestions about the subject?
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