The Book of Knots - Jags

Book of Knots - The Symposium
80
authority figures are most likely to play along. Still, Stage II is very
difficult to pull off. In many cases they will work with Agents In Place
(infected people who have agreed for whatever reason to serve the Army
of No), or Whirls such as the Orange Peel Men who have considerable
experience in subtly manipulating the physical world.
Stage II will usually begin with acts of mild sabotage and defacement
that escalate as the response escalates. They will use all of their tricks
and power to encourage the authorities to overreact––if they can provoke
collective punishment or humiliation of suspected (usually framed)
individuals, they will have successfully completed Phase II, and are
ready for Phase III.
Phase III
By Phase III, things have already gotten bad. The relationship between
authority and everyone else in the area will be strained and on edge.
Almost everyone will have taken sides by now (and those who started
off on someone’s side will be nearly fanatic). Daily operations will
become a battle of wills between authority that requires obedience and
submission, and the workers or students who desire autonomy.
The environment will be almost unlivable–– mechanical malfunctions
make radios and TVs almost unwatchable. Heaters and air conditioners
will be broken or running intermittently. Noise––humming, scratching,
crackling, is a constant background annoyance. And everyone knows
things are heading for a showdown.
By this point the Army will have identified their fulcrum––an authority
figure who demands victory at any cost and sees defiance as a personal
affront. This is the kind of man (or, often, woman) who the Army can
work with. They will try to make contact through infected agents or (if
necessary) dreams.
They will offer the fulcrum total victory and the humiliation and defeat
of those who stand against him if he will agree to serve them. By this
point they are almost never refused.
What the fulcrum is to do, is to institute the Army’s rule on this world
and (ultimately) Infect those under his care so that they will Descend
into the Army’s grasp. In areas where they have reached Stage III, the
army has established a beachhead in Chessboard Zero, and has one more
piece of the Grand Puzzle in place: the creation of hell on earth.
The Army
The army is composed of very big single-celled, cybernetic organisms
(technically called Eukaryborgs) that may look somewhat human. Some
army organisms are 90% mechanical and these are called Cybarkyots.