[Trinity Continuum] Max Mercer Theory

[wyrdhamster]

EDIT: Okay, Appendix: Setting Secrets chapter of TC: Adventure! 2E has very nice summary what is, what was and how it can go with Mercer. If you really need enter his 'theory' field - just read this part of the book. And return here to expand with us more, into the Mercer rabbit hole.

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I marked Trinity Continuum as I ask about 'canon' of 2E Trinity settings - Adventure!, Modern, Aberrant and Aeon timeline. NOT 1E interpretation...

So question - Is Max Mercer time traveler? I seen some rumors about it on forums.

If he is traveler - from what era times he started time hopping? Was it Adventure!, Modern, Aberrant or Aeon era?

[Dataweaver]

Max Mercer hasn't yet been revealed in TC, other than a handful of mentions; but he's going to appear in TC:Adventure, which is where he got his start; and barring a drastic change from the Trinity Universe setting, he's a time traveler — but more of an “unstuck in time” traveler, in that he doesn't appear to have much control over it. Mostly, he's depicted as staying in one time for about a decade or so, then leaving for another era for a similarly long stay. His arrivals tend to be pegged to large “exotic energy events” such as the ones that triggered the Adventure, Aberrant, and Æon eras, meaning that he's likely to be present in all three of them.

[Mateus Luz]

Of course, Max Mercer has had the ad- vantage of considerable foresight, not just because he’s a visionary futurist with great faith in human- ity, but also because he is one of the world’s most potent Talents, and a time-traveler.

TC: Aberrant, Page 276

The rest is as described by Dataweaver

[IanWatson]

Æon, page 357: "the mysterious Max Mercer became an exceptionally powerful Talent who possessed a limited ability to travel through time"

Aberrant, page 276 as noted by Mateus

tl;dr: yes he's a time traveler

[glamourweaver]

The Continuum resolves a lot of moral questions about Mercer’s time travel, since it appears to just create divergent timelines in the infinity of the continuum rather than writing over the previous timeline - so any question of “well why didn’t he do x” can easily be resolved by “maybe he did, but that’s not the timeline you’re in.”

[wyrdhamster]

So there is no canonical start of Mercers life? Like, his first 'life' was in 1900-1930's - then he jumped to 2010's - and then Aeon Era of 2100's? Because if this is canon - Mercer could not return to 1930s with knowledge of 'progressive future' of 2010's. OR he jumped in Hammersmith Incident moment ( surviving fire), lives few years in 2000s, return to seconds after Hammersmith Incident - and THEN he build Aeon Society as force for progress... 🤔

[Mateus Luz]

No. He started his lad somewhere in the 1890s, his power kicked him from the 1920s to the 1940s, where his older self teach him some stuff, he comeback to the 20s and funded the Aeon Society. All the things he did to the timeline are covered, and maybe just a few know what he did (never openly stated). We know he visited many ages, and he is alive in Aeon era, but not sure if he jumped to future and back or just lived all the way to that period.

[Bunyip]

Wyrd, I don’t think you’re going to get much more from this line of questioning.

If there’s an answer, it’s likely to be in the Setting Secrets chapter of Adventure! Which as you know is currently in its Kickstarter campaign. Which means that anyone who knows the answer isn’t going to tell you because they don’t want to spoil the reveal in that section of the manuscript preview, and anyone who doesn’t know the answer has nothing to say until that part of the manuscript preview drops.

I didn’t work on Adventure! I don’t know what the answer to your question is. But I imagine I’ll learn more by the end of the KS campaign.

[Mateus Luz]

Expanding on Bunyip, as we don’t have all the Adventure book to read, if you have the Aeon and Aberrant books, my suggestion is, go to the timeline chapter of each and got to the setting secrets chapter. The first will tell you how things are and how they get there, and the last will talk a little about the behind the scene and the major players. Extremely useful!

[wyrdhamster]

I didn’t work on Adventure! I don’t know what the answer to your question is. But I imagine I’ll learn more by the end of the KS campaign.

We will see if Marcer's timeline will be unveiled in Adventure! KS preview. But still...

He started his lad somewhere in the 1890s, his power kicked him from the 1920s to the 1940s, where his older self teach him some stuff, he comeback to the 20s and funded the Aeon Society.

...is nice sum-up what I needed for running Mercer for the time being. So, Mateus Luz, you put your bets on that Mercer was born in circles 1860s, had some adventures in 1900-1910s, then Hammersmith Accident, he was pulled from 1920s - jump to 2010s for few years - and then return to 1920, yes? With advent that he meet his older version of himself in 2010s?

Do I miss something, or does it sound that Mercer is virtually immortal, if he has something like 160 years in 2010 year and his older self still lives there?

[Mateus Luz]

So, Mateus Luz, you put your bets on that Mercer was born in circles 1860s, had some adventures in 1900-1910s, then Hammersmith Accident, he was pulled from 1920s - jump to 2010s for few years - and then return to 1920, yes? With advent that he meet his older version of himself in 2010s?

Do I miss something, or does it sound that Mercer is virtually immortal, if he has something like 160 years in 2010 year and his older self still lives there?

He was born in the 1890s, he was young (30s, I am 38 and I feel young) when Hammersmith happened. He was rich and had some travels for sure, he knew real explorers, and he had been on adventurous places.

In 1e, Mercer is launched to 1940s where he met himself and part of the Aeon Society, and get a quick class about time travel from the older himself. Than he return to 1920s to create the society. That’s 1e stuff, maybe didn’t happen in TC.

When does he start time traveling around? No idea.
When have he been? No idea.
What ave he done in those periods? Probably something related to Aeon Society, other than that no idea.

We know he talks to her granddaughter in 2020s, we know he have been in the end of Aberrant War (or at least watched the results and the final speach from Mal (and returned to the 1940s or 1950s to give him some advise in the form of a letter) and we know he had some activity in the 2120s during Aeon era. That’s what we know.

[LordHeru]

One thing that we now know is that he disappeared while helping people try and get from the burning mansion. We also know that Donigal ran into the burning building after his friend, which for me is an awww moment.

Also him meeting and learning from himself who met and learned from himself is one of those headache inducing timey whimey elements that is fantastic to ponder about.

[wyrdhamster]

So, a side topic, but related - Sara Kaur - she is described as 'rival' Mesmerist to Mercer. And from what I seen on forum - she is immortal. What are her names across time?

[Mateus Luz]

She is not Max rival, she is a equivalent, like Primoris is the equivalent Stalwart of Max. She became the Quantakinesis Proxy in 2108 and was possessed by a Doyen for about 8 years, until she fake her death when her order was purged.

Sara Kaur in the 1930s
Krona Bush in the 2020s
S. K. Bhurano in the 2120s

[wyrdhamster]

Max Mercer from Adventure! cover - punching skeleton! ❤️