Opening the sarcophagus?

Vampiriana · Post by **Vampiriana** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 6:01 am

I don't suppose there's really any answer to this, but I can't help wondering how Jack succeeded in opening the sarcophagus. After all, Dr Johansen and Beckett, both acknowledged "experts" in the field, claimed that it could only be accessed via a special key. Curioser and curioser.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 8:10 am

possible spoilers

Vampiriana wrote:I don't suppose there's really any answer to this, but I can't help wondering how Jack succeeded in opening the sarcophagus. After all, Dr Johansen and Beckett, both acknowledged "experts" in the field, claimed that it could only be accessed via a special key. Curioser and curioser.

There's been a bit of speculation on this point. However, Jack == Pirate. Hence, a sailor. He sailed out to the Dane, opened the Sarcophagus with the key (which was then on the Dane, according to Johannsen), removed Messerach, planted the explosives, killed the crew, took the key, and left. Then, perhaps, he gave the key to Ming, or she acquired it by other means. Once Ming had the key, Beckett and Johannsen were both unable to open it, but Jack, with the key, would have no trouble at all, expert or not.

There's a thread on this topic from quite some time ago, I think. I'll try to find it for you.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 9:07 am

Ughhh. I scanned back through posts going back a year and a half, and all I have is eye-strain, blurry vision and a serious migraine. I don't suppose anybody else remembers where that thread or threads was/were? I'm going to have a nap. My head hurts.

theBlackDragon · Post by **theBlackDragon** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:59 am

So Jack would also have made it look as if the sarcophagus had been opened from the inside too?

Along with the apparent uneasieness most vampires seem to be feeling it's something I've been wondering about for some time as it seems to be made pretty clear that the sarcophagus doesn't contain any elder vampire, let alone an Antediluvian (I only finished the game as a Tremere yet though, so I didn't get to have a peek yet)

Vampiriana · Post by **Vampiriana** » Sun Dec 24, 2006 11:03 am

Thanks.

Thanks for that observation, Jhereg. It makes sense. Sorry for the eyestrain and headache, though... lol.

pennypincher · Post by **pennypincher** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 1:21 am

This also begs the question, other then the simple respect due to something so acient, the risk to what might be inside, and the lost value of it... Why didn't someone with potence just take a sledge hammer too it?

I mean, I understand why, once the prince had it, nobody would. Likley he wouldn't let anyone... But all Giovanni have Potence, and it was in their basement for a HECK of a long time, and hell, the Nossies had it for some time as well, thou I guess it was more valuable for them to sell it off for tid bits and favours then to smack it open and play with the body inside... I'm suprised nobody cracked that baby open and peeked in thou.

Anaximander · Post by **Anaximander** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 5:17 am

pennypincher wrote:This also begs the question, other then the simple respect due to something so acient, the risk to what might be inside, and the lost value of it... Why didn't someone with potence just take a sledge hammer too it?

I mean, I understand why, once the prince had it, nobody would. Likley he wouldn't let anyone... But all Giovanni have Potence, and it was in their basement for a HECK of a long time, and hell, the Nossies had it for some time as well, thou I guess it was more valuable for them to sell it off for tid bits and favours then to smack it open and play with the body inside... I'm suprised nobody cracked that baby open and peeked in thou.

I never even thought of that. Would have been an interesting option for players with Potence, but I guess that would kind of spoil the whole story.

Jhereg · Post by **Jhereg** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 6:41 am

*** Spoilers ***

theBlackDragon wrote:So Jack would also have made it look as if the sarcophagus had been opened from the inside too?

It would be easy enough, I think. Slaughter the crew, remove Messerach, climb in and push the lid off yourself. Then close it. Leave all the earmarks of it having been opened from the inside. Then leave.

theBlackDragon wrote:Along with the apparent uneasieness most vampires seem to be feeling it's something I've been wondering about for some time as it seems to be made pretty clear that the sarcophagus doesn't contain any elder vampire, let alone an Antediluvian (I only finished the game as a Tremere yet though, so I didn't get to have a peek yet)

That's another one of those threads that I think I've seen (and no, I'm not looking for it - I try to keep the migraines to less than one a week). Given the known facts: 1) The only thing in the Sarcophagus is C4 and a note from Jack. 2) The key went missing from the Dane. 3) Ming has the key. 4) Jack has Messerach.

Now, we wander into speculation. How is it that the sequence of events managed to work themselves out so that these known facts are true? Jack ambushing the Dane seems to me a no-brainer, but how is it that Ming had the key? Was there perhaps some kind of conspiracy between Jack and Ming so that Ming used her sea-friendly warform pals to jump the Dane? Why Ming would do it is obvious, but why would Jack?

As an Anarch, Jack's obvious imperative would be to skewer Lacroix. But Jack is an 18th century pirate. Setting up something as intricate as this seems to be something slightly over his head (like the Moon, for example). But we are dealing with Vampires - schemes within schemes. Regardless of whether Jack and/or Ming were involved were they working alone, in concert, or perhaps at the behest of some other, as yet, unknown being?

It would be perfectly possible for somebody with a sufficiently active imagination to weave dozens of different schema that would serve to explain all of the various actions, reactions, causes and effects that eventually lead to whatever result the game plays out to. Any number of conspiracies are possible. Is there a Caine? Is he in LA? Is there, perhaps, an Antedeluvian, but not actually in the Sarcophagus? The cabbie seems to be a vamp, but is he just a bit-player, or the controlling interest? Jack is in your face from the get-go to the charlie-horse. Why?

For myself, I suspect that these possibilities were deliberately left open and vague precisely so that we could entertain ourselves by trying to figure out why - a game within the game. The beauty of great literature is that the words in the story demand that you fabricate the reality in your imagination. The truth of the story exists only in you. That means that it might be different for every person who reads it - or plays it.