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http://www.key23.net/occulture/post/326
Summary: A new chaos magic experiment involving a social structure with both hierarchical and chaotic features, ideal for various kinds of magical powergaming.
THE DISORDER - TAKING UP THE SLAQ IN CHAOS MAGIC/KS
WHAT IS THE DISORDER
The Disorder is an attempt to stimulate some New Thought on Chaos Magic by creating a magical communication network with some *structural* features which help make Chaos Magic real. It is an Order about Chaos, and a Chaos about Order.
ABOUT THE DISORDER
The Disorder is a New Magical Enterprise in much the same mode-and-mood as the Z-Cluster. It is perhaps closer to a magical experiment than a magical Order, although it has some features of a Magical Order.
The Disorder is also a Google Mailing List: http://groups.google.com/group/The-Disorder/
To join, send email to: The-Disorder-subscribe@googlegroups.com
Joining this list makes you a member of The Disorder.
http://powerball.com/ is the Core Power of The Disorder, and Internal Affaris of The Disorder are governed by The Holy Powerball. The Powerball is drawn for a Lottery twice a week, and is a Symbol of Fate, as it's result ranges from One (The Individual) to Forty Two (Life, the Universe and Everything.)
The Disorder has two forms of Membership: The Rabble, and The Hierarchy. The Epop of the Hierarchy owns the Mailing List, and leadership is chosen by Powerball. The Rabble have no administrative power.
THE HIERARCHY
The Hierarchy is a Government who's rulers are chosen by chance, skill and magical power: to correctly guess the Powerball is to Rule!
The Hierarchy is ruled by an Epop, who is Chosen by the Powerball, and is the Owner of the List (via the Google Groups Management interface.)
The Epop has absolute power over the administration of the Google Group of The Disorder: they may change policy, ban members etc. at their whim, or pass this power on to others. They may also refuse to hold a Reshuffle in which case, The Disorder must migrate to a new list or die.
While in Power, each Epop may wish to run a social hierarchy on the List, ranking people their Number, with those who guessed Over the Powerball number being at the bottom of the Hierarchy.
The Epop will frequently take a name like "Epop Discordant XXXI" (31) recording their attitude and their Number.
JOINING THE HIERARCHY
To become a member of the Hierarchy, you pick a number between 1 and 42. You then post a Claim to this number to The Disorder mailing list in an email message with the subject line: "My Powerball Number is %n."
example
Subject: My Powerball Number is 31.
The Posting of a Claim makes you a Member of the Hierarchy from the next Reshuffle (not immediately). This prevents people from picking a high position in The Hierarchy when they join The Disorder.
All Claims must be datestamped by Google Groups at least one minute before the Powerball is drawn at 10:59 ET on each Wednesday and Saturday. Any mail with date stamp later than 10:57 ET is elligible only for future Reshuffles.
Each Claim you make supercedes your prior Claim, of course. One can leave the Hierarchy at a Reshuffle if one posts to that effect before the Reshuffle begins, but not before (unless one leaves The Disorder.)
THE RESHUFFLE
An Epop holds power until *ANY* of the six balls drawn in Powerball comes up with the number they Chose to become Epop. When the Epop's number comes up, it is called The Reshuffle. (The Number is the number the Epop Claimed, which may be Lower than the Powerball Number which Chose them - see the Example Section.)
The person who's publically declared Powerball Number is equal to or closest-to-but-under the Powerball Number at the time of the Reshuffle is the new Epop.
It is the responsibility of the Incoming Epop to post a message Claiming they are the new Epop before the next Powerball Drawing. If they Fail to notice they have become Epop before the next Powerball Day, the old Epop continues in power.
The outgoing Epop makes the new Epop the Owner of the mailing list, then drops their own Ownership.
At that point, the new Epop comes to power.
If there are multiple people with the same Claim number, they are all made Owners of the list and may rule Cooperatively for their Epophood, or any may oust another by using the Group Admin Interface to change the status of the other Epops.
Epops should not be shy about remaking the List Policies and Social Conventions in their Own Image, as this Power exists to be worked in creation.
One additional former Epop may be granted Owner status (but no right to use it) to prevent list administration mixups. This Epop is known by the title Lord Byron, for no good reason at all.
Finally, if the Epop's number comes up again (that is, they do not change the Powerball Number that selected them, and it comes up, both deposing and re-selecting them in a single act!) they are Inelligible for a second term, and the next lowest number is declared Epop.
THE RABBLE
The Rabble are members of The Disorder who do not have membership in the Hierarchy. They cannot and will not become List Administrators, nor do they have the power to change the way The Disorder works.
However, neither should they be expected to obey the orders of The Hierarchy, except under unusually strict and domineering Epops, who still have the power to boot and ban The Rabble *at*their*whim*.
Power has it's privileges, but at least The Rabble don't have to worry so much about the Hierarchical Whims of the Epops.
While members of The Hierarchy owe it to the Hierarchy to Obey and should be expected to (at least on list!) The Rabble should do as they Please, under penalty of being Booted.
A WORKED EXAMPLE
(think of these as emails headers)
From: Sitting Epop Sir Julian the Bastard, XII Subject: My Powerball Number is 1.
Body: For the next time, I'm at 1.
From: Fred the Obscure
Subject: My Powerball Number is 23.
From: Malicious Midget
Subject: My Powerball Number is 31.
From: Jack
Subject: My Powerball Number is 14.
From: Fred The Obscure
Subject: Powerball Results - I'm the New Epop, know me as Epop Self Riteous 23.
Body: 11 12 18 43 51 Powerball: 24.
As 12 was Sir Julian the Bastard's Epop Number, and it is Ball 2, I hereby claim my status as Epop of The Disorder, based on my magnificent Skill and Power by holding 23. Nobody holds 24, and I am the Closest, therefore I am Epop.
Julian, please turn over the Admin. I appoint you Lord Byron, also.
---------------
Now, what's happening here is The Reshuffle. Julian's Powerball number comes up, Fred the Obscure sees this has happened, and his guess of 23 is closest to the actual Powerball Number of 24, so Fred the Obscure in charge now.
The Hierarchy is now:
23: Epop Self Riteous 23, formerly Fred the Obscure
14:
Jack 1:
Julian 31 (bust, over 24): Malicious Midget, who's guess was Too High, and who has fallen to the bottom of the heap.
WHY?
Most magical orders are ruled by either Unverifyable Claims of Magical Power, Social Popularity, or the Sheer Happenstance of having Started them.
The Disorder is a Magical Meritocracy: by skill of prediction or manipulation of the Powerball by Magical Means, one can rise to rule. It is a pure meritocracy. A Magical King-of-the-hill which uses publically available data to test one's ability to predict or manipulate an objective, external datum.
Furthermore, The Disorder cultivates a solid relationship with Chance, and should be understood to be a more fitting way of running a Chaos Magical Network than many other systems.
Come one, come All, to The Disorder. Let they who are blessed by the Holy Red Powerball come to power, and lead us all where they Will! |
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