The Unknowing is the ritual The Stranger and its allied Entities wish to complete that will change reality enough for the Entity to come through and create the world to its own likeness. It is a dance featuring several players and items of power, and, unlike many other rituals, it is highly resistant to disruption, as the necessary players, props, and even location may be replaced. It is therefore most vulnerable while it is being performed. It is also called "The Dance".
When in progress, the area surrounding the ritual becomes "one long category error." No physical changes occur, but all humans present lose the ability to correctly perform semiosis: unable to identify people and objects, or misidentifying them as something they aren't, or even unable to understand what they are in the first place. Avatars appear to be less subject to this effect, presumably being protected to an extent by the nature of the Entity they serve. Avatars of the Stranger are naturally unaffected, though they may still find it uncomfortable.
The Circus was working to bring about this ritual.
Known Attempts[]
The most recent Unknowing was attempted on August 7 2017, at the House of Wax museum in Great Yarmouth, England by Nikola Orsinov and allies. It was stopped by Jonathan Sims, Timothy Stoker, Basira Hussain, and Alice "Daisy" Tonner. [1]
The previous attempt was in October 1787 at the Court Theatre Buda in Budapest, Hungary, performed by a group of automata constructed by Wolfgang von Kempelen and featuring The Mechanical Turk. It was stopped by an avatar of The Slaughter. [2]
Known Components[]
listed in MAG 102
- “Danseuse Étoile” - a special dancer
- 2017: Nikola Orsinov
- 1787: the Mechanical Turk
- the "Choir"
- 2017: wax figures made in part with the skinless, still-living victims of The Anglerfish.
- 1787: a set of mechanical birds and/or Wolfgang's "speech machine"
- the "Corpse du Ballet", who need to be clothed in a great deal of intact human skin
- a costume of special distinction for the dancer
- 2017: originally planned to be the ancient Gorilla Skin, briefly planned to be the skin of Jonathan Sims, finally chosen as the skins of Gertrude Robinson and Jurgen Leitner.
- 1787: "something hairy, coarse, and brown," presumably the same gorilla skin.
Known Participants[]
2017[]
1787[]
- The Mechanical Turk
- Abraham Janssen, invited as "a close friend of the Turk"